


Home is behind, the world ahead.

by natasha_romanoff



Series: Home is behind, the world ahead. [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Canon Related, Dragon Age: Origins - Freeform, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Full Playthrough, Gen, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Main Quests only, Origin Story, Skipping Side Quests, Will include DLCS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2020-05-12 11:24:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 45,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19228198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natasha_romanoff/pseuds/natasha_romanoff
Summary: The story of Nienna Tabris, a newly recruited Grey Warden and the future hero of Ferelden.





	1. A Day of Celebration.

**Author's Note:**

> Most of the dialogue will be straight from the game but as I add more chapters and introduce the other companions, I will write my own dialogues and own scenes. I won't write about everything that happens in the game, I will mainly include scenes in between quests which will show Nienna and her companion's thoughts and feelings about what happens but I will let the reader know of what choices had been made during each quest. 
> 
> This is also the first fic I have ever published so I hope you enjoy!

"Wake up, Nienna! Why are you still in bed? It's your big day."

Shianni's voice roused Nienna from her slumber. She woke, opening one eye and after seeing Shianni stood before her with her hands on her hips in a frustrated stance, Nienna rolled to her side, pulling the thin scratchy sheet up over her head. "Just a little longer." She groaned, burying her face into the sheet.

"Come on! Don't make me use cold water again." She was joking, of course but she had done it once before and the sudden fear of her doing it again was enough to make Nienna bolt up in her bed which was no more than a wooden bedframe and bundles of straw to make a mattress. She let out a long yawn and stretched her arms out. Shianni bent down to Nienna's eye level and chuckled, "You do remember what today is, don't you?"

Of course Nienna did. It's the day that she had been dreading all her life. Her father, Cyrion, told her when she was younger that she was to be in an arranged marriage once she came of age. Her mother, Adaia, was always against the idea of a forced marriage, yet despite how much she hated it, she always loved Cyrion and he loved her. Nienna prayed that she would be as lucky as her parents, and that when she would meet the man she would spend the rest of her life with, she would know it from the first glance. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment, rubbing her eyes. "Is it someone's wedding?"

"A double wedding! You're getting married, and so is Soris! That's what I came to tell you. Your groom, Nelaros, he's here early!" Shianni turned and grabbed the dress that was hanging up in the crooked wooden wardrobe. The dress had been prepared and cleaned specially for today.

"He's here already? Then I guess I don't have a choice..." Nienna muttered the last part under her breath, but Shianni heard every word. She placed the dress beside her on the bed.

"That's the spirit! Well, sort of..." She laughed, and gently pushed her, causing Nienna to join in with her laughter. "Alright, I'll stop tormenting you. I should go talk to the other bridesmaids and find my dress." She began to walk away before she stopped and turned back. "Oh, Soris said that he'll be waiting for you."

Once she was gone, Nienna looked down to the dress. _I suppose it could be called a wedding dress_ , she thought to herself, _though it is nowhere near as pretty as the dresses I've seen the humans wear_. When she was younger, she used to climb to the highest point of the alienage, and peer over the wall, looking over into Denerim's town-square. She once caught sight of a bride waiting to go inside the chantry. The bride had the most beautiful dress; pure white with a flower adorned veil, and it was so long that it had to be carried by two small children. But Nienna knew that those luxuries was not meant for her or her people. However she conceded that she would rather have this dress than anything made by the Shems. This dress belonged to her mother and it was one of the very few things Nienna had left to remember her by. It was a white (more like a light grey now) off the shoulder, long sleeved dress which her mother worn on her own wedding day many years ago. Nienna undressed out of her shabby nightgown, changed her under garments, and put the dress on and stood in front of the broken mirror that was resting against the wall. It fit perfectly; her father had always said she was the spitting image of Adaia.

Nienna turned to her nightstand and picked up the jug of water that Shianni had put out earlier and proceeded to pour it into a bowl. She grabbed a small cloth and dipped it into the fresh water to wash her face. Her soft, fair skin was unblemished and her eggshell coloured eyes were bright and were a trademark of her beauty. Once she had finished washing, she took a brush to her creamy blonde wavy hair.

She walked out into the main room of the dishevelled, creaky house and her father approached her with subtle tears in his eyes.

"Ah, my little girl. It's the last day that I'll be able to call you that." He said, looking down at the dress and then back to his only child who was no longer the small girl he had always saw her as. She was already 18 and was about to take her first steps into womanhood.

"Father, I will always be your little girl." She affirmed, whilst giving him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her tightly, a little longer and a little tighter than usual.

"Oh, I wish your mother could have been here." He whispered, softly. Nienna's heart ached. She had spent almost every day of her life wishing her mother was still with them, but today she was wishing harder than ever before. Not because she had wanted her to see her get married, but more because she knew her mother would find a way to stop the wedding.

"Me too, Father." He eventually pulled away and cleared his throat. "Well, what should I be doing?" She asked.

"You should go find Soris. The sooner this wedding starts, the less chance you two have to escape." He chuckled slightly, though Nienna suspected he wasn't joking. He knew she had never wanted this but he was glad she had never tried to fight it. Nienna was very aware of the life of an elf from the alienage and there was nothing that could be done to change the path laid out for her. She had accepted that this was her fate and nothing could be done to change it.

"A small chance is still a chance." She joked, smirking at him. He laughed and placed his hand on Nienna's shoulder.

"Still have your mother's smart mouth, I see." He smiled sweetly at her. Adaia's death was hard on him. He did his best to raise Nienna but their relationship was rocky. Nienna was so close to her mother and he knew he could never replace her but she still loved him and was grateful for all he had done for her. But some pain can never be healed. He let go of Nienna's shoulder and turned to one of the shelves on the cracked wall beside him. On these shelves was a small wooden chest which he grabbed down and placed on the nearby dresser. He opened it and pulled out a pair of dark leather boots. They had originally belonged to Adaia and were given to her by her parents for her wedding. He gave them to Nienna who put them on her small dainty feet. They were a bit big but it was a better fit than the old leather pair she always wore. "Oh, one last thing before you go. Your training, the swordplay, knives, and whatever else your mother trained you in... Best not mention it to your betrothed."

Adaia was a skilled warrior and she had trained Nienna to fight as soon as she was able to wield a sword. Because Nienna was so young, Adaia taught her to how to use her size to her advantage; teaching her how to be quick with a dagger and also how to wield a sword. She also taught Nienna to pickpocket, and occasionally Nienna would pick the pocket of an unassuming Shem who was causing trouble in the alienage but Cyrion quickly put a stop to it. He knew having a daughter who could fight was trouble enough without her being a thief.

"I take it you didn't say anything?" Nienna asked.

"Well, it's not exactly something that would have made it easy to find a match for you. We don't seem like troublemakers, after all. Adaia made that mistake." His voice softened as soon as he said her name. Adaia was always the talk of the alienage due to her warrior past and her courage against the Shems. She had never cared of what other people thought of her; she was proud of herself. But that didn't help her in the end. One of the women in the alienage was taken by a group of humans one day, and they did terrible things to her. Adaia was furious and she broke out the alienage and found them, saving her friend. But later that night, they returned and wanted revenge. She fought them off as best as she could, killing half of them but she was still outnumbered. They killed her and left her body in the street.

"The humans who killed her made a bigger mistake." Nienna said, bluntly.

"Our world is full of so many injustices." He cleared his throat again, and then gave her another long hug. Cyrion broke the embrace and told Nienna he would meet her later then made his way to his bedroom.

She started for the door then stopped in her tracks as she rested her hand on the rusty door handle. She glanced back into the room, the house she had grew up in; the only home she had ever known. It began to occur to her that she would not be living with here with her father after the ceremony. She would have to live with her husband. _My husband... even the word does not sound right to me_ , she thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle and the creaky door swung open and she stepped outside.

Once outside, the sounds and smells of the alienage hit her like a gust of wind. She heard the elven children laughing, the townsfolk chattering away, and the cheers of wedding guests who were celebrating far too early. Despite the smell of the sewage running through the alley behind her house, the grim atmosphere and the high walls towering around them, she had grown to love it. It was not the most beautiful place in all of Thedas, but it was home. She made her way down to the vhenadahl that sat in the centre of the community. She had walked past this tree everyday for the past 18 years yet today was the first time she really took it in. Elven culture and civilisation had been lost to city elves and this is all the they have left to honour the old ways. Nienna had heard of the Dalish Elves, who travel in their clans and practice the old ways. Adaia's parents were Dalish and they had camped on the outskirts of the Brecilian Forest with their clan. But they had been killed by human bandits, yet Adaia survived and found her way to Denerim where she was taken in by the alienage. Nienna's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice calling her name. She glanced around and saw Soris, her cousin, waving his arms in the air. He ran up to her and hugged her.

"Well, if it isn't my lucky cousin. Care to celebrate the end of our independence together? Apparently, your groom's a dream come true. My bride sounds like a dying mouse." He said, scowling at the thought of his new bride.

"I'm sure she's quite nice, Soris." Nienna chuckled.

"Great, I'll spend the next fifty years with a 'nice' girl who hides grain away for the winter." He laughed, and she shook her head, shooting him a playful glare. "Let's go introduce ourselves to your dreamy betrothed before you say 'I do'."

He took her by the arm and walked her around the vhenadahl. But suddenly they saw something that stopped them in their tracks. A group of humans were walking through the alienage, heading directly their way.

There was three of them, each one laughing obnoxiously and shoving elves out of their path as they walked by. One elven woman got in their way and the leader of the humans grabbed her arm forcibly. She shrieked and begged them to let her go. The Shem pulled her towards him and began to force his arms around her.

"It's a party isn't it? Grab a whore and have a good time." He laughed as she tried to wriggle away from him. She managed to break free and Shianni suddenly ran to the woman's side. "Savour the hunt, boys. Take this little elven wench here... so young and vulnerable." He had now began to target Shianni, and his two friends began to laugh.

"Touch me and I'll gut you, you pig!" She spat at him. A crowd had now begun to form around the incident, though many still kept their distance from the Shems.

"Please, my lord! We're celebrating weddings today!" A voice cried out. The Shem turned to face the elf who spoke and he stood before him, raising his arm up.

"Silence, worm!" He slammed his fist down onto the elf's head and knocked him out. The crowd gasped and a few people began to run back to their homes. Soris tried to pull Nienna away from the commotion but she stood firm.

"I know what you're thinking but maybe we shouldn't get involved." Soris whispered. Nienna turned to him, pulling his hand off her arm.

"Shianni will get herself killed. I won't stand by and watch." She snapped. He was taken aback for a moment but then nodded. He knew she would not back down, especially seeing as Shianni was in danger.

"Fine, but let's try to be diplomatic about it." He sighed, knowing that they were in for it now. Nienna stepped forward, with Soris following sheepishly behind. The shem saw them approaching and he turned, his attention now on Nienna.

"What's this?" He leered, signalling to his friends to come closer. "Another lovely one come to keep me company." She stood tall, squaring up to him. It was no use; she was much smaller than him and he towered over her but she was not scared. He looked her up and down, his eyes lingering too long on her body which caused Nienna to feel uncomfortable.

"You need to leave. At once." She ordered, her voice sounding fierce and strong. The Shems all roared with laughter. One of other humans came forward.

"Ha! Did you hear that, Vaughan?" He snorted whilst he laughed. They all continued to laugh until the main Shem raised his arm.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" He was about to strike her but there was a sudden SMASH and the Shem froze for a moment then fell backwards, revealing Shianni standing behind him holding the rest of a broken bottle. The remaining crowd of people stood silent, as did the other Shems. One of them pushed past Shianni and bent down to the man on the ground.

"Are you insane? This is Vaughan Urien, the Arl of Denerim's son!" He shouted, lifting his unconscious friend up off the floor and into his arms. Shianni dropped the bottle from the shock of hearing the name of the man she just attacked and smashed on the ground.

"W-What? Oh, Maker." She said, nervously. She turned to Nienna with fear in her eyes. Nienna grabbed her hand and held it tightly, pulling her away from the unconscious body.

"Look, things got out of hand..." Nienna explained, but the other Shem cut her off.

"You've got a lot of nerve, knife-ear. This will go badly for you." He helped his friend lift Vaughan up and they carried him towards the gates that led back into Denerim. Shianni pulled away from Nienna and began to pace up and down, fiddling with her hands nervously.

"Oh, I really messed up this time." She sighed.

"It'll be alright! He won't tell anyone an elven woman took him down." Soris joked. Shianni shot him a glare but then nodded in agreement.

"I hope so. I should get cleaned up." She turned and walked back in the direction of Cyrion's house. The crowd began to disperse and two well dressed strangers approached Nienna and Soris.

"Is everyone alright?" Soris asked as they stopped in front of them.

"I think we're just shaken. What was that about?" The woman replied. Soris suddenly became nervous and began to fidget.

"Looks like the arl's son started drinking too early." He nervously chuckled, looking back and forth at the two strangers before him. He had recognised them at once yet Nienna was still unsure as to who they were. "Um, well... let's not let this ruin the day. This is Valora, my betrothed." Soris gestured to the woman, who smiled sweetly at Nienna. She smiled back then turned her attention to the man beside her who had not spoken yet. He was a handsome man, with light hair and piercing eyes. Nienna stared at him, hoping that her heart would tell her if this was the man she was destined to be with, like her mother and father had felt before they were married. Yet she felt nothing. Her heart sank and she felt her nerves creeping up on her again but she still smiled at him.

"And this must be my betrothed." She said, holding out her hand. He took it and kissed it softly.

"I am Nelaros. It's a pleasure to meet you. Soris said much of you- some of it was even positive." He jested, turning to Soris.

"Hey, I just wanted to give you a sporting chance to run!" They laughed yet Nienna stayed quiet. Soris shot her a worried glance and then looked to Valora who was still smiling sweetly. He turned back to Nienna.

"I'm... sure the two of you will have much to discuss." He offered his hand to Valora and the two walked off, leaving Nienna and Nelaros alone.

"Well, here we are..." Nelaros broke the silence first. "Are you nervous?" Nienna could feel her stomach in knots, and she was beginning to feel incredibly anxious.

"Sort of nauseated, really." Her response slipped out without her realising. Oh no, I didn't mean it like that, she panicked. But he just chuckled at her answer.

"I thought I'd stay calm, but now we've met... Let's just say I'm not calm." He fixed his eyes on her, and she immediately felt uncomfortable. He obviously felt something on his side, but she still did not. He was handsome and he seemed charming but... she knew it was not love at first sight.

"How was the trip from Highever?" She quickly asked, changing the subject.

"Uneventful, thankfully. The trade caravan we accompanied had little of value; I think that kept the bandits at bay." Suddenly Soris reappeared and he grabbed Nienna's hand, squeezing it hard.

"Come on, Cousin. We should let them get ready." He said, through gritted teeth. Nienna could tell that he was not happy with his match either, but it was too late now.

"We'll see you two in a bit. Don't disappear on us!" Valora jested, pointing her fingers at them. Nelaros laughed and they both took their leave. Soris quickly pulled Nienna away and he rubbed his forehead with his index fingers on either side. He was about to speak until a sight drew his attention away.

"Don't look now, but we have another problem." He groaned, this day was getting worse by the minute.

"What do you mean?" Nienna asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Another human just walked in. Could be one of Vaughan's... or just a troublemaker." Soris nodded his head in the direction of said human, and Nienna turned slightly to be able to see him. The human was a dark, bearded stranger dressed in a very elaborated armour. She had never seen anyone like him before which meant he was most likely trouble.

"Right. Let's go talk to him." Nienna made her way towards the man, and Soris followed in tow.

"Let's do this quickly." He whispered. They approached the man who faced them both with a smile.

"Good day." He spoke softly and with a rich, pleasing voice. "I understand congratulations are in order for your impending wedding." Nienna shot him a distrusting glare, her stance becoming defensive.

"Do you have business here, human?" She questioned. Soris raised his eyebrows at how brave she was to talk that way to a human. The man just smiled and nodded.

"I do. I believe, however, that I may have already found what I was seeking." He replied, folding his arms across his chest. Nienna took a better look at his armour. The outer plate was silver, with griffons carved into the chest plate right in the centre. And his under armour was a royal blue material with silver detailing. She had never seen something so elaborate before.

"And what might that be?" She asked him, folding her arms across her chest in response.

"That is my business." He said, bluntly. He was standing taller now, trying to intimidate her.

"Then you'll be leaving, I presume." Nienna stared at him coldly, unnerved by his behaviour.

"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of leaving." He declared. His hands were now by his sides and Nienna became aware of the sword by his side.

"I will ask once more, politely. Please leave." Her heart was pounding by the danger this Shem now posed.

But he laughed once more, and spoke loudly: "She keeps her composure even when facing an unknown and armed human. A true gift, wouldn't you say, Valendrian?" Suddenly, the alienage's Elder came to the human's side.

"I would say the world has far more use of those who know how to stay their blades." Valendrian responded, turning to Nienna and Soris who both had confused expressions on their face. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder and chuckled. "It is good to see you again, my old friend. It has been far too long." Nienna was now feeling a little embarrassed and she unfolded her arms.

"I am sorry, I had no idea..." The Elder raised his hand and smiled to her, making her feel a little more relaxed about the situation.

"I was hardly forthcoming, and for that I apologise." The human explained, giving Nienna a small bow.

"May I present Duncan, head of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden." Valendrian declared. Nienna tilted her head, again feeling very confused.

"What is a Grey Warden?" She asked.

"They are a great order of warriors, child, sworn to protect our world from the darkspawn." Valendrian answered, turning to Duncan. "But my question remains unanswered. Why are you here, Duncan?"

"The worst has happened. A blight has begun." Duncan's tone became serious, and a shiver ran down Nienna's spine. She had heard of blights before, though she had always thought it was a myth created by the humans to scare the elves. But it would appear she had thought wrong. "King Cailan summons the Grey Wardens to Ostagar to fight the darkspawn hoard alongside his armies." Valendrian nodded.

"Yes, I had heard the news. Still, this is an awkward time. There is to be a wedding- two, in fact." He pointed to Nienna and Soris, who both also just remembered exactly why they were there.

"So I see. By all means, attend to your ceremonies. My concerns can wait for now." Duncan bowed his head once more, and then took his leave. Valendrian turned his attention back onto Nienna and Soris.

"Very well, children, treat Duncan as my guest. And for the Maker's sake, take your places." He laughed and made his way past them towards the centre of the alienage to prepare for the ceremony.

Nienna felt her heart sink into her stomach.

This was it.

She looked at Soris, who also dreading what was to come. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly, reassuring her that she was not alone. She let out a shaky breath and then nodded at him. As they made their way to the ceremony, she held back her tears and put on a brave face.

She knew there was no way out of this now.

From this moment on, her life was about to change.


	2. The Ruined Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna Tabris' wedding is about to take place, until someone returns to seek revenge and things take a turn for the worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt slightly uncomfortable about including what happens to Shianni but as it is canon in the game, and is something that is important to Shianni's character arc and affects Nienna in a particular way, I still wanted to include it. But I did not write about it in detail, it is simply implied that something happens to her, however I still put a warning for people who may be triggered. This will be the only time something of this nature will be in my writing. I also still referenced a lot of the dialogue from the game but changed it slightly towards the end of the scene to not have it be exactly the same as the game. But I hope you enjoy the next chapter in Nienna's story!

Nienna walked towards the wooden stage that had been set up in front of the vhenadahl in the centre of the alienage. The crowd of people who had gathered to watch the ceremony whispered amongst each other, some saying how beautiful she looked in her mother's dress and others saying how Soris looked handsome in his wedding clothes. Nienna and Soris both made their way up to the stage and took their place beside their betrothed.

"Soris! There you are. I was afraid you'd run off." Valora said, quickly grabbing his hand in case he did in fact run away. But he just smiled, and laughed lightly.

"No, I'm here. With Neloras' blushing bride in tow." He looked at Nienna, who was not blushing at all but was starting to look slightly pale. She faced Neloras who was beaming with delight and he took her hand.

"You look radiant." He whispered to her. She smiled sweetly, but did not return the compliment. She found that she could not speak, yet she stood tall and awaited the chantry Mother to take her place before them to finally begin the ceremony. She was making her way up the steps when Soris turned to Nienna.

"Looks like everyone is ready." Soris sighed, sending Nienna a worried glance. She frowned, but then raised her head high and cleared her throat.

"Good luck, Soris." She said, gripping Neloras' hand tighter. Not for comfort, but because she was terrified and needed something to keep her grounded. He whinced as she dug her nails in the palm of his hand, though she did not mean to do it on purpose, yet he held on and didn't let go.

"You too, Cousin. Maybe it won't be so bad, after all." Soris glanced back to Valora and he placed his hand on top of hers. Then, the ceremony started to begin.

First, the Elder stepped forward, dressed in his traditional grab which was a long grey robe with red velvet adorning the ends of the sleeves, and he addressed the crowd: "Friends and family, today we celebrate not only this joining, but also our bonds of kin and kind. We are a free people, but that was not always so. Andraste, the Maker's prophet, freed us from the bonds of slavery. As our community grows, remember that our strength lies in commitment to tradition and to each other."

The crowd cheered in agreement, and Valendrian stepped aside to let the Mother speak her part.

"Thank you, Valendrian. Now, let us begin." She said, raising her hands up in front of the brides and grooms. "In the name of the Maker, who brought us this world, and in whose name we say the Chant of Light, I-" Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd which silenced the Mother. A voice was shouting, barking at people to let them pass and those who stood in the way were pushed aside as they made their way through to the stage.

It was Vaughan, the arl of Denerim's son; he had returned but now he had brought with him an entourage of his personal guards. Nienna's heart skipped a beat and she quickly turned to Shianni who was already looking back at her, her mouth open in shock.

"Milord, this is an unexpected surprise." The Mother gasped, being pushed back by him as he made his way to the stage.

"Sorry to interupt, Mother. But I'm having a party and we're dreadfully short of female guests." He laughed, pushing through and standing directly behind Valora.

"Milord, this is a wedding!" The Mother shouted, shaking her head at his behaviour.

"Ha!" He bellowed, pushing Valora violently. She lunged forward and fell into the arms of one the guards who held her forcibly. "If you want to dress up your pets and have tea parties, that's your business. But don't pretend this is a proper wedding." He scoffed, turning to the other ladies around him. "Now, we're here for a good time, aren't we boys?"

"Just a good time with the ladies, that's all." The guard holding Valora grinned, whilst she struggled against him. The guards all laughed along, whilst Soris stood unable to move. Nienna felt a flush of anger beginning to flare up inside her and she was about to intervene when Neloras pulled her away and kept her behind him.

"We'll take her and a few more ladies. First, where's the bitch that bottled me?" Vaughan asked scouring the scene, until his eyes fixed upon Shianni was stood to the side of the stage. He signalled to one of the other guards to grab her but Shianni tried to fight back.

"Let me go, you stuffed-shirt son of a-" The guard forced his hand over her mouth, causing her taunt to become muffled under his glove. She tried to push him off but the guard was strong and could not be moved.

"And who's this?" Vaughan was now stood before Neloras and Nienna. "What a pretty bride." Neloras kept Nienna behind him, spreading his arms out to keep Vaughan at bay.

"Don't worry, I won't let them take you." He cried, looking over his shoulder at her. She wanted to desperately push him aside and run to Shianni's aid but he wouldn't let her past and she knew it would only make matters worse. But seeing her cousin struggling against the guard was too much for her to bare.

"I won't let them take Shianni!" Nienna shouted, looking directly at Vaughan, a slimy grin on his lips.

"Ah yes, such a well formed thing." He said, looking her up and down behind Neloras who was trying his best to stand taller but Vaughan was still towering over them both.

"You villains!" Neloras spat. Vaughan simply laughed at him.

"That's quite enough. I'm sure we all want to avoid further unpleasantness." Neloras lowered his arms, feeling slightly defeated that Vaughan was not threatened by him. Nienna moved him aside, and faced Vaughan with all the courage she could muster. She thought quickly about how to react. If she tried to hurt him, Shianni and Valora would be killed. She also did not have a weapon nearby, and she knew she did not have the strength to take on a human all by herself. She watched as her cousin struggled against the guard, Shianni's face full of fear and panic. Then, Nienna knew what to do.

"Take me." She cried, a gasp coming from the crowd still surrounding the stage. Neloras and Soris was stunned silent. "You can take me but you must let the others go."  
Vaughan raised his eyebrows in surprise at her demands. But he simply chuckled, turning to the crowd who were now awaiting his response.

"Well, that wouldn't much of a party now, would it?" He turned back to Nienna, raising his arm up slowly. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun."

Then, Nienna hit the floor with a loud _THUD_ and everything went black.

\- - - - - - -

Nienna awoke in a room with a strange, musty odour and dark, dank walls. She looked around herself, and saw she was in a storage room of some kind. There were sacks and barrels dotted around the room. There was no windows and only one door to her left. She then noticed Shianni was sat beside her, her hands quickly grasping at Nienna's.

"Oh, thank the Maker, you've come to!" Nienna blinked a few times before remembering what had happened. She sat up on the cold, damp stone floor and held onto Shianni's hand. "We were so worried." Valora, who had been out of Nienna's sight, quickly rushed to her other side. They were both trembling yet seemed unhurt.

"Are you both alright?" Nienna asked, looking back and forth at them.

"We're scared but unharmed." Valora replied, her voice weak and shaky. "So far." She lowered her head as if to hide her fear, but Nienna placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "They locked us in here to wait until that bastard is... ready for us."

"Then we need to get out of here." Nienna declared. Shianni helped her to her feet and brushed off the dirt from the bottom of her dress.

"Forgive me if I don't hold my breath but the door is locked and solid, and we're unarmed." Cried out a voice from the other end of the room. Nienna followed where the sound came from and another elf stood up and moved over to her. Nienna recognised her from the alienage, the woman who Vaughan had grabbed eariler in the day. Her name was Nola. The fact that Vaughan had grabbed another victim caused Nienna to curse under her breath but then a sudden noise startled her. It was the sound of metal against stone and loud footsteps making their way towards the door. The women quickly huddled together, with Nienna in front. She stood firm, preparing herself for what may walk through the door. There was the sound of keys rattling and a _CLICK_ , and the door swung open. The guards from earlier had returned with grins across their faces.

"Hello, wenches." One of them said, looking at each of the women. "We're your escorts to Lord Vaughan's little party." He began to move forward, reaching his hand out to grab Nienna until Nola ran forward, flinging her arms in the air.

"Stay away from me!" She cried, her desperation and panic getting the better of her. The guard just stepped back and pulled out his sword. In one swift motion, she was slain and her body fell to the floor with a smack. Shianni and Valora screamed in horror as her crimson blood flowed across the stone floor. But Nienna stared in disbelief; her heart pounding in her chest at the sight of Nola's corpse. The guard barked orders at the others; one group took Shianni, the other took Valora. Then there was the main guard and two others left in the room with Nienna.

"You two, bind the last one. She's a scrapper." The guard said, and he left the room, leaving the door wide open. The two guards stood before her; Nienna was much smaller than them yet she stood tall and rasied her head to show she was not afraid. But this was not true. She was terrified. But then, someone entered the room and took the guard's by surprise.

"Uh, hello?" It was Soris, still in his wedding clothes but with a small sword in his hand. Nienna gasped, letting out a breath she didn't realised she had held in. She had never been more happier to see her cousin. The guards were confused, until one of them came to their senses and pulled out their own sword from it's sheath.

"Oh, look at this." One of them chided. "A little elf with a stolen sword." They both moved towards Soris who began to slowly back out of the room. He took one glance at Nienna but it was enough for her to know what was about to happen. He crouched down and threw the sword under the guards' feet, causing it to slide across the stones and land directly in front of Nienna. As the guards quickly turned around, Nienna swooped down and grabbed the sword in her hands. Before the guards even knew what hit them, she slit their throats in two clean swipes. They fell straight to the floor; the blood spitting out from the necks of their now lifeless bodies.

Nienna was frozen. She looked down at the sword, then at the fresh blood that began to drip from the blade, down the hilt and which finally rested onto her hand. Her mind raced as she tried to comprehend what she had done. She killed them. As their blood pooled around her feet, she felt as if she was going to be sick, but she just breathed. Slowly and shakily, she took deep breaths. She _killed_ them.

Soris approached her, looking down at Nola. "I can't believe they killed her." He said, shaking his head slowly as he knelt down to close her eyes. He then turned to Nienna, who was still staring at the blood on her hands. "Are you alright? They... didn't hurt you, did they?" He spoke softly, placing a hand on her shoulder which caused her to flinch and she pulled away from him. He was shocked but still remained still, allowing her to calm down. She quickly snapped back into reality, and shook her head.

"No time to talk. The other's need us." She said, kneeling down beside the dead guards, taking their sword and daggers. She offered Soris the sword but he removed a bow from his back which Nienna hadn't yet noticed.

"That Grey Warden, Duncan, he gave Neloras a sword and he gave me a bow and some arrows, but that's all we have." He pulled an arrow from the quiver and placed it in the bowstring, preparing for what was to come.

"Neloras is here?" She asked, hiding one dagger in her boot, and then she held the other in her hand, along with the sword.

"Yes, he's the reason we're here. He lost it on those who wanted to 'hope for the best'." Nienna raised her brow. She had no idea she meant so much to him. Yet she felt guilty for not being able to feel the same way. But this was no time to dwell on such things. Soris fumbled with the bow in his hands. "If it wasn't for him.... I... Well, I didn't know what to do..."

"You're here now. That's what matters." She said, sweetly. He smiled, feeling slightly more confident in himself. He had always looked up to Nienna and her bravery. She was the most bravest woman he had met, and he had always wished he could be more like her, though he never told this to her.

"Neloras is guarding the end of the hall. We should go help him!" Nienna nodded, then they both made their way out of the storage room, which was situated at the end of a large kitchen.  
They ran as fast they could, not being afraid of being seen. They ran through the kitchen and then through the dining hall, where some guards were eating. The guards quickly got to their feet, their hands on the hilts of their swords but Nienna was fast. She threw a dagger to the throat of one guard, and then lunged over a table to stab her sword into the chest of the other. Soris dealt with other guards who were in the back of the room, as Nienna recovered her dagger. They then made their way out of the dining hall and down a long corridor, taking out any guards that tried to stop them.

Finally they made it to a small hall where Neloras was fighting. He was outnumbered and very under skilled but he had managed to survive this long. He turned to the door where Soris and Nienna stood and he stopped.

"Nienna!" He yelled, forgetting that he was surrounded by guards. He was slain in moments, a sword slicing into his back. Soris fired an arrow which pierced the guard that had killed him and he was knocked back but it was Nienna's dagger which finished him. She bolted across the room and had thrown her dagger at him. She then fought the remaining guards, remembering what her mother had taught her. She used her size against them, being much smaller and agile in her dress than they were in their heavy armour. In a flash, they were defeated and Nienna stood over Neloras's body, catching her breath. Soris came over and fell to knees next to him.

"Neloras... I'm so sorry." He said, tears falling from his eyes. Nienna simply stared at his corpse. His once handsome face was now pale and his expression was one of shock and horror. She looked at him, the man who was to be her husband, a man who was meant to give her a new life. Then she looked down to her wedding dress. Once a beautiful, clean dress meant for new beginnings and happiness, a dress that her mother had worn on the happiest day of her life, was now stained in blood. The bottom of the dress had also ripped and torn. She felt a tremendous pain in her chest, and she felt tears stinging in her eyes but she bit her lip hard, forcing the tears down. Now was not the time. She bent down and took the dagger to the end of her dress, cutting a slit going up to her thigh to give her more room to move. She then stood up, looking once more at Neloras.

"Come. Let's find the others and leave this place." She ordered. Soris looked up to her, his eyes red from his tears. He nodded and then they both walked to the end of the hall and opened the door to another corridor. They were unsure where to go but they heard a yelp come from one of the rooms further down from where they were. They followed the sound and they came to a door. Nienna went up towards it, placing her pointed ear against the wood and she heard a familiar voice. Without any hesitation, she threw her whole body into the door, causing it break open.  
Vaughan turned as the door suddenly burst open. His eyebrows were raised in shock at the sight of Nienna and Soris, and then he looked down to see her dress covered in blood. Blood which he knew at once belonged to his guards.

"My, my. What have we here?" He chuckled. Nienna bared her teeth at him, clutching her dagger and sword tightly in her hands, causing her knuckles to turn white. Soris took position behind her, his bow aimed directly at Vaughan.

"Don't worry, we'll make short work of these two." A voice said. Nienna suddenly became aware of who else was in the room. Behind Vaughan was two humans. They were dressed in similar clothes to Vaughan, which meant that these were nobles and not guards. At their feet was Shianni, who was curled up on the ground. Nienna glared at Vaughan, her rage burning inside her.

"Quiet, you idiot!" Vaughan shouted. "They are covered with enough blood to fill a tub. What do you think that means?"

"You're going pay for what you've done." She hissed, keeping her eyes on Vaughan. He raised up his hands to show he was unarmed, and took a step towards her.

"All right, let's not be too hasty here. Surely we can talk this over."

"You really think you can talk your way out of this?" She cried, aiming her sword at him; her hand keeping steady though she was shaking with rage. A woman's crying suddenly distracted Nienna, and she turned her attention to Shianni who was lying on her side, tears streaming down her bruised face.

"Please, just... get me out of here. I want to go home." She begged, looking directly at Nienna. Her heart ached at the sight of her cousin in so much distress. She returned her gaze back to Vaughan, who was smiling smugly to himself.

"Think for a minute. Kill me, and you'll ruin more lives than your own. By dawn, the city will run red with elven blood." He proclaimed. Soris leaned closer to Nienna.

"But Nienna, what if he's right? They'll purge the alienage again!" He whispered, fear in his voice. She felt divided. She knew she was endangering the whole alienage. But she could not stand by and let this injustice stand. She couldn't let this happen to her cousin, to any woman, ever again. He had to pay for his crimes.

"No. You die." She lunged forward, screaming at the top of her lungs as she forced the sword into his chest. He gasped as the sword pierced straight through him; his companions quickly reacting by rushing forward but Soris was quick and he fired two arrows which hit their marks instantly. In a sudden rush, they all fell to the floor. They had been defeated. Soris ran to the end of the bedroom, where Valora was being held in the adjoining room. Nienna's heart was pounding, a thrumming sound muffled in her ears. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and then she stepped over Vaughan's body, and knelt down beside Shianni. She took her in her arms and hugged her close. Shianni's body trembled as she sobbed into Nienna's chest. After a moment, Shianni sat up and looked at Nienna.

"D-Don't leave me alone. Please... please take me home." She cried, holding onto Nienna's arms. Nienna nodded, tears beginning to fall down her bloodied cheeks.

"Of course, I will. Don't worry, I won't leave you." Nienna said, softly. "Are you able to walk?"

Shianni nodded, starting to get up. Nienna helped her to her feet, throwing her arm over her shoulder to help her balance. Nienna looked ahead, tears blurring her vision. She thought about her mother telling her about her first kill and how she never forgot it. How she still remembered the blood on her hands and the expression on the man's face. And now, Nienna knew she would never forget this day, but she would not regret it. She knew that from now on, she would never be the same.

"You killed them, didn't you? You killed them all?" Shianni asked, in her weak voice. 

"Like _dogs_ , Shianni." Nienna answered.

"Good. Good."

\- - - - - - - - -

The journey out of Arl's home was easier than they had expected. Soris took point whilst Nienna and Valora both helped carry Shianni, but they did not meet any guards. It wasn't long until they found themselves back at the gates that led into the alienage and they walked down the steps, back to their home. Upon their arrival, they were met by Valendrian and Duncan.

"You have returned!" The Elder said, rushing up to them. He saw Shianni being half carried by Nienna and Valora. "Has Shianni been hurt? Where is Nola?"

"Nola didn't make it." Valora cried, letting go of Shianni but keeping close by in case she fell faint. "They killed her."

"Neloras, too. The guards killed him." Soris said, placing his bow on his back, now he had no use for it.

"I see." Valdandrian sighed. "Valora, would you please take Shianni home? She needs rest."

"Of course." Valora took Shianni's hand and as Shianni pulled away from Nienna, she held out her other hand to Nienna. Nienna gave her hand a comforting squeeze, to let her that she was now safe and then let go to allow Shianni to make her way back home.

"Now tell me: What happened?" Valendrian asked Nienna, taking in her bloodstained appearance. "Were you hurt?"

"No, this blood is not mine." She replied, feeling sick as she remembered the smell of the blood and the sight of the corpses she was responsible for. She shook this feeling off, and continued: "Vaughan is dead. He... He hurt Shianni."

"If Vaughan is dead, then the garrison could already be on their way. You have little time." Duncan pointed out, looking up back the path they had just come from to see if any guards were close by.  
Nienna nodded, understanding that now her life was truly over. She was prepared for what was to come. She had commit murder even if it was to stop injustice. She knew the law and she knew the punishment was death.

An elf ran to them, shouting that the guards were coming. Valendrian told everyone around him to not panic and he took Nienna's hand, moving her to stand next to him.

"I seek Valendrien, elder and administrator of the alienage." The Captain of the guard bellowed. He stopped in front of them all, the rest of his patrol behind him.

"Here, Captain." Valendrian stepped forward, holding up his hand to show he came in peace. "I take it you come in response to today's disruption?"

"Don't play ignorant with me, Elder. You will not prevent justice from being done. The arl's son lies dead in a river of blood that runs through the entire palace. I need names and I need them now." The Captain snapped, pointing his finger at Valendrian. Soris began to sweat, fidgeting with his hands. Nienna saw this, and she thought for a moment. Nienna couldn't let him lose his life. He had his whole future ahead of him. This was her fault, her burden. She took a breath and stepped forward.

"It was my doing." She said. Soris' mouth dropped open. He tried to interject but Nienna ignored him, looking straight at the Captain. She outstretched her arms, holding her wrists out to be clapped in irons.

"You expect me to believe one woman did all that?" The Captain scoffed, obviously not realising that her dress was covered in blood.

"We are not all so helpless, Captain." Valendrian stated, feeling impressed by Nienna's display of bravery. She was truly her mother's daughter.

"You save many by coming forward. I don't envy your fate. But I applaud your courage. This elf will wait in the dungeons until the arl returns. The rest of you, go back to your homes." The Captain turned around to his guards, preparing to take Nienna away to the dungeons.

Soris grabbed Nienna's hand and squeezed it tightly. He couldn't believe she was doing this for him. Nienna simply smiled, and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Take care of Shianni, Soris. She will need it." She whispered, tears begin to fall down her dirty cheeks. He nodded, said goodbye and then he turned, making his way back to Cyrion's house. Nienna cried silently for a moment, thinking of her family and how she would never see them again. Her heart ached, but she knew this was the right thing to do. This way, the alienage would be saved and she knew that was all that mattered. She turned back to the Captain, until Duncan stepped between them.

"Captain, a word. If you please." Duncan said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"What is it, Grey Warden? The situation is well under control, as you can see." The Captain declared, looking slightly annoyed at his interference.

"Be that as it may, I hereby invoke the Grey Warden's right of conscription. I remove this woman into my custody." The Captain was taken aback, as was Nienna. Was he allowed to do that? Nienna had no idea that was even a thing someone could do! But then she had never heard of the Grey Wardens until today, and she knew very little of the outside world so she awaited the Captain's response.

"Very well, Grey Warden. I cannot challenge your rights but I ask only one thing. Get this elf out of the city today. Now, I need to get my men on the streets before this gets out." The Captain shook Duncan's hand, giving Nienna once last glare and then he turned, moving towards the stairs and he left the alienage with his troop.

"You're with me now. Say your goodbyes, and see me when you're ready to go. We need to leave immediately." Duncan ordered, turning to Nienna who was frowning in confusion. But she understood that he had saved her life and she was grateful. She nodded her head.

"What's going to happen here?" Nienna asked.

"For the moment, they are fine. There are far more important matters arising that endanger more than just your people. I needed a Grey Warden and I found one. That conscripting you saved your life is only circumstance. You did what you had to do to accomplish your mission. We need people like you." He placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a ressauring squeeze and he smiled. Her nerves calmed down and she found that she was content with this decision. "Now quickly, say your goodbyes. Your life here is over."

With that, Duncan took his leave. As Nienna walked slowly back to her home, she took in the alienage once last time. The sounds and the smells seemed more potent to her now, and she took a deep breath. She thought of how many times she'd ran down these streets, how her mother used to hold her hand as they sat under the vhenadahl, how her father would chat to his neighbours at the first light of dawn, how she and Shianni used to play behind the houses and how she had wished to see what life was like behind those stone walls. Now she was about to leave and experience it first hand.

Her life began here and now that life was over.

Her new life was about to begin.


	3. New Beginnings.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna Tabris leaves her home behind, and travels to Ostagar with Duncan to prepare for the Joining. She also meets her fellow Grey Warden, Alistair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was very excited to finally write about Nienna meeting Alistair, I can't wait to write more about these two. I love them so much ^o^

The old wooden floor-boards in Cyrion's home seemed to creak louder than usual as Nienna walked around her room, packing her belongings into her wrinkled leather satchel. She did not have much; a hair brush, a shard of glass she used as a mirror, two small healing potions and some elfroot herbs. She had changed out of her bloodied dress and into a simple white tunic and brown breeches. The sleeves of the tunic were puffed and ended just after the elbow, and the neckline hanged loose across her shoulders. She kept her mother's boots on her feet and her father had given Nienna her mother's old belt which she tied at the waist of her tunic to extenuate her thin figure.

  
She slung her bag across her body, and took one last look at her room. So many memories flooded her mind and her heart felt heavy as she patted the satchel on her side, preparing herself for the next step in her life. Walking out of her room, she saw Shianni who was now awake after taking some rest. She was still bruised and a little shaken up but she still stood tall and smiled sweetly at her cousin.

  
"You took all the responsibility for what happened. You're amazing, you know that?" Shianni exclaimed, holding out her hands for Nienna to hold. She looked at her with such sweetness and thankfulness.

  
"I just did what was right, Shianni." Nienna said, humbly, giving Shianni's hands a gentle squeeze.

"You always do. They will write legends about you one day." Nienna shook her head, yet she felt a smile grow on her lips and she let Shianni continue. "When the world was at it's worst, there you came- fire in your eyes, like something out of the stories Adaia used to tell us. I'll never forget that." They embraced, holding on to each other just a little more tighter. "I love you, Nienna. Make us proud out there."

They remained in that embrace for a little while, but eventually Nienna pulled away. "Take care, Shianni. And look after my father for me." They parted, and Nienna turned towards the door of her father's house. She pulled the handle and as the door creaked open, she felt a pain in her chest. It dawned on her that she might never step foot in this old house again. She did not know if she would even see Shianni again, she had no way of knowing. She would leave the alienage and she may never return. But she still stood strong and she kept her head held high, prepared for the life that now awaited her. As she exited the house, the door closing behind her, she ran into her father who was stood holding a small wooden box. Nienna had saved his goodbye for the very last.

He stepped towards her and fiddled with the box in his hands. Nienna gently placed her hand on his shoulder, and he seemed to calm at her touch.

"Nienna... If this really is what the Maker has planned for you, then I suppose it's for the best." He said, with hesitation in his voice. "Your mother would've been pleased."

"You are not pleased?" She asked, tilting her head.

"I just wish there was another way. I dreamed of grandchildren, families, gatherings and..." He stopped as he noticed Nienna had furrowed her brows, looking down at her feet. He shook his head, wrapping his left arm around her and holding her close to him. "I'm sorry. This isn't helping." He sighed, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, my girl. Take care and be safe, and be wise. We'll all miss you."

He let her go, but before she could turn away, he placed the box in her hands and told her that it was meant to be a wedding gift and that she should open it once she was at Ostagar. She nodded and let the tears fall as she finally said goodbye to her family and her home.

Duncan was waiting at the edge of the Alienage and once she met up with him, he asked if she was ready. She took one more look back at what she was leaving behind, unsure if she would ever see her family again or what awaited outside the stone walls of the alienage, but she took a breath and followed Duncan up the stairs and out of the gate.

 

\- - - - - - - -

 

The journey to Ostagar did not take as long as Nienna had expected but they spent much of the journey on horseback. Nienna shared a horse with Duncan, as she had no experience in horse riding and there was no time that could be spared to teach her. They made a few stops along the way for rest and for food, and Duncan made sure to inform Nienna of what was to come. He gave her a brief history of the Grey Wardens and of how the darkspawn came to be. He told her about how King Cailan and his army had been fighting the darkspawn, and how they have planned one final push to defeat them from their source. He also explained that there were other Grey Wardens who were on thier way to join them for the battle, and that he had found two others who he had conscripted who would be trained alongside her. Nienna felt nervous at the thought of being so involved in such a great battle, but she knew this was for the greater good and she felt proud to know she would be doing more to save Ferelden than just rotting away in some prison.

Upon finally arriving at Ostagar, Nienna marvelled at the beauty of the great stone ruins which surrounded her. She had never seen anything like it, but since leaving the alienage, she was still beginning to see more of the world. She couldn't believe there was so much to Thedas than just the alienage or Denerim. Duncan found it amusing when Nienna would look at something in complete awe, with a childlike innocence. They once stopped at a field to let the horses rest and Nienna had knelt down to feel the long, green grass with her hands. She asked Duncan if something was wrong with the ground. He explained to her that this was how grass was supposed to look and she was shocked; the grass at the alienage was always yellow and never grew beyond her ankle. But in the Hinterlands, the grass grew long and healthy. Yet at Ostagar, the stone ground was muddy and covered in remnants of snow which Nienna did not mind, for it reminded her of home.

As they made their way into the ruins, they were met by a man dressed in full gold armour with an entourage of guards behind him. He was a handsome, fair-skinned man and his long blonde hair was tied back out of his face. His face shined with glee as he approached Duncan, his arms outstretched for a hug. "Ho there, Duncan!" He cried out, embracing his old friend.

"King Cailan!" Duncan said, startled. Nienna suddenly felt nervous and she wasn't sure how to conduct herself in front of the king. She stood behind Duncan, and awaited her introduction. "I didn't expect-"

"You didn't expect a royal welcome?" The King interrupted, a smile still on his lips. "I was beginning to worry you'd miss out on all the fun."

"Not if I could help it, Your Majesty." Duncan sighed. Cailan just chuckled and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle, after all! Glorious!" He said, cheerfully. Then he took notice of Nienna, who was still hiding behind Duncan. "The other recruits told me you found a promising new recruit? I take it this is she?"

"Allow me to introduce you, Your Majesty." Duncan stepped aside and Nienna stood in front of the King, fidgeting with her hands.

"No need to be so formal, Duncan. We will be shedding blood together, after all. Ho there, friend! Might I know your name?"

Nienna shot a nervous glance at Duncan who in turn gave her a nod to let her know it was alright to speak. She stood tall and cleared her throat before speaking.

"I am Nienna Tabris, Your Majesty. I am pleased to meet you." She said, speaking as eloquently as she could. Cailan chuckled again, and extended his hand to shake hers.

"Pleased to meet you too! The Grey Warden's are desperate to bolster their numbers and I, for one, am glad to help them!" He let go of her hand, and she still felt nervous in the presence of the King. She tucked her hair behind ear, something she did when she was worried or anxious, and the King noticed her pointed ear. "Ah, I see your an elf, friend! From where do you hail?"

"The city of Denerim, Your Majesty." She replied. She waited for the King to say something insulting or for his guards to start laughing at her for being a knife-ear but King Cailan simply smiled.

"So do I! Though I've not been in the palace for some time." He laughed, "Do you come from the alienage?" She felt slightly uncomfortable at how many questions he kept throwing at her, but she saw that he meant no disrespect and he was just asking out of pure curiosity. "Tell me, how is it there? My guards all but forbid me from going there."

She looked at Duncan again, and he shook his head, stepping forward between the two of them. "Your Majesty, there are events in Denerim that you should be made aware of but now is not the time."

"Of course, I will know more about this matter later. For now, we have a war to attend to." The King smiled once more at Nienna. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Ostagar! The Wardens will benefit greatly with you in their ranks."

Nienna bowed her head and King Cailan took his leave, along with his guards who followed after him. Duncan watched as the King was out of earshot and then he started walking in the same direction with Nienna in tow.

"The King's army has won several battles against the darkspawn here, and Arl Eamon, the Arl of Redcliffe, has claimed that his men will be here in less than a week. King Cailan believes the fight is almost over." He said to Nienna, making sure to keep his voice low so no one overheard.

"Yet, you don't sound so reassured." Nienna pointed out, her voice also lowered.

"Despite the victories so far, the darkspawn horde grows with each passing day, and soon they shall outnumber us greatly. The King does not believe this is a true Blight, but I believe an archdemon is behind this. But I cannot ask the King to act solely on my feelings." They walked across a long narrow stone bridge, which allowed them to look out over the coming battlefield. It was a vast clear space surrounded by the Korcari Wilds; a forest rich with trees, which excited Nienna as there was still much of wildlife that she had not experienced yet. They kept on walking until they reached the end of the bridge. "But that does not matter right now. We have until nightfall to complete the ritual."

Duncan stopped as soon as they reached the end of the bridge, and Nienna turned to him. "'The ritual'? What do you mean by that?" She asked, her head tilted.

"Every recruit must go through a secret ritual that we call the Joining in order to become a Grey Warden. The ritual is brief, but some preparation is required." He would say no more on the Joining but Nienna felt she had no reason to worry. She asked what she needed to do next and he told her to stay within the camp for the time being and to find the other recruits. He also told her to there was another Grey Warden in the camp by the name of Alistair, and that she was to seek him out once she had introduced herself to the other recruits. He took his leave from her and Nienna took a moment to take in her surroundings. She had never seen such high ruins before. The stone walls reminded her of the alienage, and her chest felt heavy from the thought of home. She shook the feelings away and proceeded to find the other recruits.

She made her way around the camp, walking past the King's soliders who were busy training and the Chantry Mothers giving sermons to the soldiers. She also spied Teryn Loghain leaving his tent; a strong looking man who's skin was pale and his expression was hardened which left the impression that he had lived a hard life. She had never seen so many humans all in one place before. There were a few elves but they were dressed in dirty clothing, rushing around doing errands for some of the humans. Even here, in the midst of battle, elves were still being mistreated. She began to feel nervous being surrounded by so many Shems. She felt vulnerable and like she was being watched, yet no one seemed to approach her or made any type of violent gestures to her, so she kept to herself as much as she could.

As she wondered through the camp, she came across the Mages. Nienna had heard tales of mages, how they were dangerous and were not to be trusted. She observed as some of them took part in some sort of spell. The guards told her they were not to be disturbed but Nienna had no intention of getting any closer. She had never seen magic before, and the sight of the mages surrounded by a blinding white light frightened her. She quickly turned to walk away and she came across an older woman with white hair who was sorting out provisions in to a crate. The woman placed a potion down, then looked up to Nienna. She had gentle features, a calm smile across her lips and kind, soft eyes.

"Greetings, young lady." She said, her voice as soft and comforting as her appearance. "You are Duncan's newest recruit, are you not? He is not a man easily impressed. You should be proud." She extended her hand towards Nienna. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Wynne, one of the mage's summoned by the King."

Nienna shook her hand but kept her distance. She had not realised she was a mage, yet she seemed polite and did not appear to be dangerous. "I am Nienna. It is a pleasure to meet you, Wynne. You said the King summoned you?"

"Yes, I am from the Circle Tower. I came with some of the other mages to help in the oncoming battle. I am mainly a healer, so I am helping to provide some potions and other poultices to those who need them. But I am just glad to be able to help in any way I can." Wynne answered, pointing to the crates in front of her. "But I'm afraid I need to finish preparing these potions. Good luck to you on the battlefield. To all of us, in fact." She smiled once more, then returned to the crates before her.

Nienna began to make her way further into the ruins until a loud growl startled her and she quickly turned to where the sound came from. It was from a dog which was being kept behind a large wooden fence. It was bigger than the other dogs Nienna had seen and it cowered in the corner but she could see the dog was hurt. A man was stood nearby and approached Nienna.

"This is a mabari." He said, pointing to the poor creature. "Smart breed and strong. His owner died in the last battle, and the poor hound swallowed darkspawn blood." Duncan had warned Nienna about the dangers of ingesting darkspawn blood; it drives a person crazy and eventually they die from the poison. "I have some medicine to help him but I need him muzzled first."

"I could do it." Nienna exclaimed, turning to the man. He raised his brows in surprise. "He looks like he is in a lot of pain; I would like to help him."

"Alright, go in the pen and let him smell you. We'll know right away if he'll respond." He handed Nienna the muzzle and proceeded to unlock the gate in the fence. "Let's hope this works. I would really hate to have to put him down."

Nienna slowly stepped through the gate, and began to lower herself towards the ground to show that she meant no harm to the mabari. The dog was hunched up but began to calm itself as Nienna came closer. She knelt down before him and he looked up at her, backing down from it's aggressive stance. Nienna looked closer at the mabari, looking deep into it's eyes and she could see the animal was in pain. She held out her hand and let him smell her scent. After he seemed comfortable with her presence, she reached forward, muzzle in hand, and he began to cower. He growled loudly, yet he allowed her to get close to him and she slipped the muzzle over his head, putting it into place. He whimpered sadly, and she patted his head.

"Good boy." She said, softly. She smiled at him and he stopped whimpering, and even shook his short stubby tail in response. She returned to the kennel master.

"Thank you! Now I can treat him properly, poor fellow." He pulled out some herbs from a bag on his waist, before looking back at Nienna. "Come to think of it, are you going into the Wilds any time soon? There's a particular herb I could use to improve the dog's chances. It's a white flower with a red centre and I think it's grown in the swamps down there."

"I don't know if I will going to the Wilds, but I will keep a look out for it if I find myself there." She said, taking another look at the mabari. He seemed calmer now, yet he was still weak. She said goodbye to the kennel master and the mabari, and continued to look around the camp.

There were more ruins to the north of the main camp, and Nienna found herself wandering through what appeared to be an old hall. There were pillars on either side and a long table had been set at the far end. The roof had fallen yet some of the original stone ceiling was still in place. Nienna was taking in the splendour of the sight around her when she suddenly heard a raised voice.

"What is it now? Haven't the Grey Wardens asked enough of the circle?" The voice asked. The voice had come from behind her, so she followed it and came across a mage and what appeared to be another Grey Warden. He was dressed in armour similar to Duncan's yet this human was much younger than him, almost the same age as Nienna. She lingered a few feet away to eavesdrop their conversation.

"I simply came to deliver a message from the Revered Mother, ser mage. She desires your presence." The Grey Warden said. Nienna looked him closely as he spoke and she remembered Duncan had told her of another Warden by the name of Alistair. She assumed this must be him, as she had yet to find any other Wardens. He seemed to fit Duncan's descriptions. He had a tanned complexion with light brown hair and stubble across his chin. He was taller than Nienna and quite well built, though it was hard to tell with his heavy armour on.

"What the Revered Mother desires is of no concern to me." The mage complained. "I am busy helping the Grey Wardens, by the King's orders I might add!"

"Should I have asked her to write a note?" The Warden quipped. Nienna raised her brows at his response, slightly surprised by his wit. She had thought he might've been more forceful with his reply or that they would've start shouting yet this human just wanted to tease the mage further.

"Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner." The mage ordered, his anger beginning to seep into his tone. The Warden simply smirked and folded his arms across his chest.

"Yes, I was harassing _you_ by delivering a message." He said in an extremely sarcastic tone.

"Your glibness does you no credit." The mage responded, becoming very fed up with the Warden's behaviour, yet Nienna, who was still watching from a distance, seemed to be very entertained.

"Here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you, the grumpy one." Nienna could no longer contain herself and she abrutly started to laugh. The Warden and the mage quickly shot their heads in her direction. The mage growled with anger whilst the Warden watched her laugh. Nienna regained her composure and looked directly at the Warden, a big smile on her lips. The Warden's cheeks flushed red slightly and he looked away, quickly returning his attention to the angered mage.

"Enough! I will speak to the woman if I must! Get out of my way, fool." He said, pushing past Nienna as she walked towards the Warden.

"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together." He sighed, turning to Nienna with a smirk. She shook her head whilst chuckling at him. She had never seen a human act this way before. He was different from the humans in Denerim, even the humans she had briefly interacted with in the camp. He seemed to make Nienna feel comfortable in his presence and she found herself smiling at him without realising she was doing it. She felt a strange warm feeling in her chest, yet she didn't understand what it was.

"You are a very strange human." She said sweetly to him.

"You're not the first to tell me that." He chuckled. "Wait, we haven't met, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage?" He grimaced slightly, preparing for the answer.

Nienna shook her head, holding her hands up to show she had no staff. "Don't worry, I'm no mage."

"Less being yelled at for me then! Though the day is still young." He joked, causing Nienna to laugh once more. He seemed pleased at that fact he could make her laugh; it was a stark difference from the mages who were simply annoyed by his very presence.

He looked closely at her whilst she laughed; her pale clear skin and blonde hair glowed in the daylight, and as she opened her eyes, he saw her light blue pupils looking directly at him, her rosy lips pursed together in a warm smile. She tucked a curl of her hair behind her pointed ear and kept eye contact with him. The Warden suddenly became aware that he had been staring and he cleared his throat.

"Wait a minute, I do know who you are. You're Duncan's new recruit, the elf from Denerim! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Alistair, the new Grey Warden, though I guess you knew that."

"Pleased to meet you, Alistair. My name is Nienna Tabris." She said, bowing her head slightly.

"Right, that was the name! You know, it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?"

"You want more women in the Wardens, do you?" Nienna smirked, feeling slightly brave for teasing him. She had never spoken to a human in this way before. Usually she would be afraid and she would take care of thinking before she spoke, but Alistair felt different to the others. He brought out her mischievous side and she liked it.

"Would that be so terrible?" Alistair leered. Nienna shot him a playful glare. "Not that I'm some drooling lecher or something." She continued to stare at him in pretend distaste. "Please stop looking at me like that."

She couldn't keep it up and she did stop glaring at him, yet she found she couldn't stop looking at him with grin still on her face. He cleared his throat once again, and then held up his hand, pointing to himself.

"Well, Nienna Tabris, as the junior member of the Grey Wardens, I will be accompanying you when you prepare for the joining."

Alistair signalled to Nienna to walk out from where she first came and they both began to walk back to the camp. Alistair suggested that they should go seek out the other recruits and then report back to Duncan to start preparing for the Joining. Nienna nodded, feeling a little nervous. She still had no idea what to expect from the Joining or what would even happen yet she felt reassured knowing that Alistair would be with her during the ritual.

"So, I'm curious: Have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?" Alistair asked, walking very closely beside Nienna.

"No, I don't even know what one looks like." Nienna replied.

"When I fought my first one, I wasn't prepared for how monstrous it was. I can't say I'm looking forward to encountering another one." He sighed.

Nienna caught him looking down as they walked, and she noticed he seemed to be upset about something. He looked as if he knew something was going to happen but before she could question him on it, two men approached them. They were the other recruits that Duncan had mentioned earlier. The smaller of the two men spoke first, introducing himself as Daveth. He explained how Duncan saved him from the noose by conscripting him into the Wardens and he seemed to be excited to take part in the Joining. The other man was called Ser Jory, a knight from Redcliffe who was conscripted after Duncan witnessed him winning a tournament. He seemed to be as nervous as Nienna felt, perhaps a little more nervous than he let on.

After all the introductions had been made, they finally made their way to Duncan who was awaiting them in the middle of the camp. He explained what was needed to begin the preparations for the Joining. They were to go out to the Korcari Wilds and fill 3 vials full of darkspawn blood; one vial for each recruit. He handed out the vials to each recruit and Nienna held hers in her hand. It was a clear vial that was smaller than a potion but would still require quite a bit of blood. Then Duncan explained the next step: he had been informed that there was once a Grey Warden archive hidden somewhere in the Wilds and there was supposedly some very important documents that he wanted them to retrieve. The documents were old treaties that the Wardens had made during the other blights and they would be useful if the oncoming battle was to fail.

Daveth and Ser Jory gathered their weapons and put on their armour. Nienna, still dressed in white tunic and brown breeches, had no armour of her own yet she checked through her satchel to ensure she was prepared. Suddenly, she remembered the present her father had gave her, which he instructed her to open once she reached Ostagar. She pulled the box out of the bag and opened it, revealing a dagger in a leather sheath and small note attached to the handle. The note read:

> _Your mother wanted you to have this dagger, she had it made especially for you. I had always hoped you may have never needed to use it but now I see that the Maker has bigger plans for you, my girl. I love you very much. May the Maker watch over you._

Her heart ached as she read her father's handwriting, and she took out the dagger, pulled it out of it's sheath and held it in her hands. She thought of her mother and felt tears beginning to sting her eyes. Alistair suddenly interrupted her moment by asking if she was ready to set off. She nodded, placing the dagger in it's sheath and attaching it to her belt around her waist, along with her other dagger she already had in her satchel.

They stood at the edge of the ruins, awaiting the guard to open the makeshift gate that had been placed over the exit. She took a breath and steadied herself. The gate opened and they began to make their way to the Korcari Wilds.


	4. Witch of the Wilds.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna, Alistair, Ser Jory and Daveth enter the Korcari Wilds to find darkspawn and the Warden Treaties. But they end up stumbling upon something much more dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a harder chapter to write because there was such much dialogue so I cut down some parts and didn't include certain lines. Also I changed some scenes from the game's original canon to make it suit my writing style a little better but also to make it different and more unique to Nienna's canon.

The Korcari Wilds was a dark, dank, swamp infested forest with trees scattered around the landscape and large pools of water covering most of the muddy ground. It was not like anything Nienna had ever encountered before but she was beginning to realise that Thedas was still full of surprises. As she and her new companions made their way through the Wilds, she became aware of how different the air felt compared to the still, cold air from Ostagar. The smell of the swamp and it's muggy-ness reminded her of the alienage and she breathed in deeply.

  
They walked through the Wilds in a formation; Nienna and Alistair in front, Ser Jory and Daveth behind. Daveth spent most of the journey asking about Ser Jory's life. They discovered that Ser Jory was a knight and he had a wife who was with child. Ser Jory asked about Daveth's life in return. He claimed he was born in a village near the Korcari Wilds but ran away once he was old enough, and lived in Denerim for a short while. He boasted about his criminal career which didn't impress Ser Jory or Alistair yet Nienna smiled as she listened to their conversation, finding herself surprised to be content in the presence of Shems. She had spent her whole life avoiding them, being afraid of them, and yet here she was, standing side by side with humans. ' _Shianni would never believe this_.' She thought to herself, but then her smile faded at the thought of her cousin, remembering what a Shem did to her, and she looked down at the ground as she walked. She may never have the chance to see Shianni again, or her home. For all she knew, the arl of Denerim could've purged the whole alienage because of what Nienna did.

  
Alistair, who had been watching her, bent his head down to get closer to her. "Are you alright?" He whispered, concerning. Nienna quickly snapped out of her thoughts and she looked up.

"Yes, sorry. I was thinking about-" She started, suddenly being interrupted by a horrific sound. It was a wolf's howl and Alistair's head quickly shot up.

"Wolves!" Alistair cried out, drawing his sword and his shield. He moved next to Nienna and ordered Daveth to stay back with his bow and Ser Jory to side of them with his long-sword. Nienna held her daggers in her hands, awaiting the wolves attack. They came in a pack, splitting in to groups of two as they drew closer. Their fur was black and there was a strange substance drooling out of their mouths. Nienna could see these wolves were not ordinary wolves; something was wrong- they had ingested darkspawn blood and were beginning to suffer from the poison. Her heart was pounding as the wolves came closer, but Alistair stayed still, the others awaiting his signal.

  
One wolf suddenly leaped into the air but Daveth was quick and his arrow pierced the wolf's throat, instantly killing the creature as it's body slammed to the floor. The other wolves charged towards Alistair. He used his shield to bash them back and his sword swiped at any who got too close to him. Nienna and Ser Jory fought the other wolves off, darting out of the way of they ran past, whilst Daveth fired arrows from a safer position. It didn't take too long until all the wolves had been slain and they took a moment to catch their breath until Nienna heard a groan coming from further down the clearing. She walked forward, her weapons still tightly gripped in her hands. She came across some corpses of soldiers who had been slain and she shouted back to her companions.

  
Alistair and the others quickly caught up to her, disbelief across their faces as they looked upon the dead. Before Alistair could address the situation, they heard another groan and Nienna turned her head to follow the sound. In the middle of the carnage, she found the source of the groaning: a badly injured solider lying on the ground. He was covered in blood and had mud all over his armour. He crawled his way towards them, unable to find the strength to stand up.

"Who... is that? Grey Wardens?" He whimpered, looking up at Nienna and her companions.

  
"Well, he's not half as dead as he looks, is he?" Alistair quipped, standing beside Nienna.

  
"My scouting band was attacked by darkspawn!" He cried, resting himself up on his elbows so he could look up as he spoke. "They came out of the ground... Please, help me! I've got to return to camp!"

"Of course, we'll help you." Nienna said, kneeling down before him. She reached into her satchel and grabbed a small healing potion. "Here, drink this. We'll need to bandage your wounds."  
She brought the potion to the soldier's mouth and he drank it down, whilst Alistair knelt beside him, pulling out some bandages from his own pack. He fixed the bandages over the soldier's wound and helped him up to his feet.

"Thank you!" The soldier groaned, holding his side as he began to limp away. "I've got to get out of here."

As he walked back up the path, Ser Jory turned to Alistair, his brows furrowed in worry.

"Did you hear? An entire patrol of seasoned men killed by darkspawn?" He clutched his long-sword in his hand, gripping it tightly as he spoke. Alistair quickly picked up on his nervousness.

"Calm down, Ser Jory. We'll be fine if we're careful." Alistair explained, trying to reassure him.

"Those soldiers were careful, and they were still overwhelmed." Ser Jory snapped back. "How many darkspawn can the four of us slay? A dozen? A hundred? There's an entire army in this forest." His voice became raised and Alistair straighten himself up, standing tall over the man.

  
"There are darkspawn around, but we're in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde." Nienna had never heard Alistair sound so serious. The playful wit she had witness earlier had gone, and the Warden in him was taking over. She felt slightly pleased that he was taking his duty as their leader more seriously than she thought he would. She trusted his word, although Ser Jory was not having any of it.

  
"How do you know? I'm not a coward, but this is foolish and reckless. We should go back." He started to walk away but Nienna quickly stood in front of him, her hand pressed firmly against his chest forcing him to stay where he was.

  
"Overcoming these dangers is part of our test. We are going to be Grey Wardens." She said, softly. He winced a little, part of him wanting to push her aside yet Nienna's words helped calm him down. "Alistair is watching over us and we must trust him." She looked over to Alistair, a big smile across her lips. Alistair's brows raised slightly in surprise of her confidence in him, and he smiled back until he remembered his place and quickly resumed his serious stance.

  
"Right. And you should know this: All Grey Wardens can sense darkspawn. Whatever their cunning, they won't take us by surprise. That's why I'm here for." Alistair placed his hand on his chest as he said this, patting the griffon on his breast plate. Ser Jory frowned, feeling a little embarrassed by his outburst until Daveth slapped his hand hard against Jory's back, laughing as he did.

  
"You see, ser knight? We might die, but we'll be warned about it first." Daveth joked, shooting a wink towards Nienna. She shook her head and chuckled, whilst Alistair cleared his throat and signalled them all to get moving.

  
An hour passed and they still had not run into any darkspawn. They walked further into the Wilds, keeping to their formation until Nienna caught something out of the corner of her eye. A single white flower rested in front of a large tree trunk which had fallen over. Nienna dropped out of formation and quickly jogged over to the plant, examining it carefully. White petals with a red centre. 'This was the flower the Kennel Master needed'. She thought, cutting the stem with her dagger and placing the flower into her satchel. She turned back to her companions but she found she was alone. She looked around but could not see where they had gone. Her heart began to beat faster, and she called out but there was no reply. She held her daggers tightly in her hands and proceeded to follow down the path they were originally following, hoping to catch up with them. She walked for a while until she stopped, having no luck at finding any tracks they might've left. She began to feel herself panicking, but she closed her eyes and just breathed in and out slowly to calm herself down.

  
When she opened her eyes, there was a horrific sight before her. A strange human-like creature was running towards her, it's weapon raised. It was a horrible twisted creature yet it was wearing armour and the same black substance dripped out of it's mouth as it had done with the wolves Nienna fought earlier. It was then that she realised what this thing was. Darkspawn. Her feet stood firm in the ground, and she prepared herself for the fight. Once the darkspawn had reached her, she ducked out of the way of it's first swing, slicing the creature's side as she passed it. It let out a blood curdling screech, and quickly swung around, it's sword following. Nienna ducked once more, slicing the creature's legs this time. It screamed again and tried to swing again, almost hitting Nienna. Jumping out of the way, she lost her balance and fell backwards, her back slamming onto the ground. She groaned in pain but before she could get up, the darkspawn stood over her.  
It raised it's sword once more; it's contorted features and hideous appearance striking fear in Nienna and she found herself unable to move. The creature growled and swung down the sword, but something awoke inside Nienna and she let out a fierce scream as she lifted her arms and stabbed both her daggers in to the creature's stomach. It dropped the sword to the floor and stood immobilised by Nienna's attack. She pulled herself up to her feet by using her daggers as a prop, digging into it's body further as she stood up. She yanked her daggers out, blood pouring out of the creature's wound and it fell backwards.

  
She stood for a moment, watching the creature die, and she took deep breaths, calming herself down. She had killed her first darkspawn. Her hands started to tremble and she kept breathing deeply. Once she was calm and the feeling of nausea had died down, she knelt beside the darkspawn, placing her blood soaked daggers on the ground. She grabbed the vial from her satchel and opened the cap, placing it near the darkspawn's bleeding wound. The vial was soon full of the dark red blood and she closed it, placing it once more into her satchel.

  
She cleaned her daggers in the swamp water nearby. Duncan had made her aware of the dangers of darkspawn blood and she made sure she didn't come into contact with it, though her once white tunic was now dirtied by blood and mud on her back from where she fell. She placed her daggers in their sheaths and suddenly heard a familiar voice call her name. Looking up, she saw Alistair rushing towards her, Daveth and Ser Jory in tow.

  
"Nienna? You're alright! Thank the Maker you're not dead." Alistair sighed, delighted to see her still in one piece. He looked down at the darkspawn corpse that was on the ground and pointed to it. "You fought your first darkspawn?"

  
She nodded, still feeling slightly sick by the sight of the creature. She pulled the vial out from her satchel to show Alistair she had completed her task.

  
"Good, then that's the first job done. Daveth and Ser Jory got their blood from a pack of darkspawn we found further down the path." He explained as they got back into formation. Alistair walked a little closer to Nienna as they carried on down the path. "Stay close me, alright? I'd hate to be the one who has to tell Duncan that I lost his favourite recruit."

  
Nienna let out a chuckle and Alistair smiled, feeling pleased yet again that he could make her laugh. He knew this wasn't easy on her; being taken away from her home and her family, forced into a new life that she knew nothing about and having to prepare for a battle that she wasn't ready for. He felt sorry for her, yet he also understood how she felt. He was still new to the Wardens and he hadn't had any real experiences of war yet he knew how important being a Warden was, and he was willing to do whatever was necessary.

  
The party made their way up a steep hill, fighting some wandering darkspawn as they reached a large tower. It had been destroyed and much of the building was missing, yet Alistair was certain this was where the Treaties were being kept. They continued up the hill, walking inside the ruins. There was a large, broken stone chest in the middle of the open space. They walked up to it, and Nienna examined the chest, lifting up pieces of stone. But there was nothing there. She looked again, lifting up the stones and placing them out of her way. Yet she still found nothing.

  
"It's empty!" She cried, looking over her shoulder at Alistair.

  
"What have we here?" A voice suddenly declared, causing Nienna to turn in the direction of the sound. A strange woman descended the staircase, glaring at them. Nienna tilted her head and observed the mysterious woman. She had black hair, and pale white skin. She was wearing very little yet Nienna had never seen any clothes like it. She wore a black bralette and black skirt, along with a deep purple hood with her right arm being covered by a sleeve, feathers adorning the shoulder pad. She also wore chains and necklaces around her neck, and Nienna took notice of the wooden staff she was carrying. She was very beautiful but even more dangerous. "Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned?"

  
As the woman approached them, Nienna and Alistair stepped forward, seeming to be unafraid of her, yet Daveth and Ser Jory kept back.

  
"Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn-filled wilds to mine in search of easy prey?" She continued, looking directly at Nienna with intrigue. "What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?"  
"I am neither." Nienna replied, her head raised. "The Grey Wardens once owned this tower."

  
"'Tis a tower no longer. The Wilds have long claimed this desiccated corpse." She began to walk around Nienna, looking at her up and down. "I have watched your progress for some time. 'Where do they go?' I wondered, 'why are they here?'"

  
Alistair stood beside Nienna, his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to be drawn at any moment. "Don't answer her. She looks Chasind, and that means others may be nearby." He said to Nienna.  
"Oooh, you fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?" The woman chided.

  
"Yes, swooping is bad." Alistair exclaimed, causing Nienna to smirk at his retort.

  
"She's a Witch of the Wilds, she is!" Daveth cried out, staying behind Nienna. "She'll turn us into toads!"

  
"Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends." She seemed un-bothered by the title, yet she was amused that Daveth was afraid of her. "Have you no minds of your own?" She stood before Nienna, gesturing towards her. "You there. Women do not frighten like little boys. Tell me your name, and I shall tell you mine."

  
Nienna waited a moment before speaking, trying to read the situation and to find a good way to respond. Alistair shook his head, warning her not to tell the woman her name, yet Nienna did not feel threatened. She decided she was curious about this woman and she wanted to learn more about her.

  
"I am Nienna Tabris." She exclaimed, bowing her head slightly. "It's nice to meet you."

  
"Now that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the Wilds. You may call me Morrigan." The woman replied. She seemed pleased by Nienna's attitude so Nienna decided to keep it up to remain on her good side.

  
"Shall I guess your purpose? You sought something in that chest, something that is there no longer?" Morrigan questioned, her arms now folded across her chest.

  
"'Here no longer'? You stole them, didn't you? You're just some kind of sneaky... witch-thief." Alistair blurted out. Nienna glanced at him and he shrugged in response, not entirely sure why he said that.

  
"Very eloquently put. How does one steal from dead men?" Morrigan quipped back. She was not impressed by Alistair at all.

  
"Quite easily, it seems. Those documents are Grey Warden property, and I suggest you return them." He demanded, his hand now completely gripping his sword.

  
"I will not, for it was not I who removed them." Her voice was rasied and she frowned at the accusation.

  
"Then who did remove them?" Nienna interrupted, hoping to ease the tension that was building.

  
"T'was my mother, in fact." Morrigan said. Her attention was now back to Nienna.

  
"Can you take us to her?" Nienna asked politely.

  
"Now there is a simple request. I like you." Morrigan turned back to the staircase, looking over her shoulder at Nienna. "Follow me, if it pleases you."

  
She made her way up, and Nienna followed, her relucant companions behind her.

  
"I'd be careful. First it's, 'I like you!', but then 'ZAP', frog time." He whispered to Nienna, loud enough so the others could hear but not Morrigan, who was far in front of them.

  
"If I do get turned into a frog, then it'll be like those fairy tales. You'll need to kiss me to bring me back." Nienna said, a huge smile on her lips. His cheeks suddenly flushed red and he stuttered in response. She laughed at his reaction and then pushed him gently. "I am just kidding, Alistair. It'll be fine, don't worry!"

  
\- - - - - - - - -

  
Morrigan led them through the Korcari Wilds and they ended up at a small run down cottage at the end of the Wilds, looking out over a large river. There was an elderly woman hunched over a fire close to the door of the cottage, and as the party approached her, she stood up. She looked dishevelled in her rags, and her short grey hair was dirty.

  
"Greetings, Mother." Morrigan said, standing next to the elderly woman. "I bring before you four Grey Wardens who-"

  
"I see them, girl." The woman croaked, her voice sounding much older that she appeared. "Mmm, much as I expected."

  
"Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" Alistair questioned, staying close to Nienna. Daveth and Ser Jory lingered behind.

  
"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide... either way, one's a fool!" She said, a huge grin across her thin lips. Alistair went to speak but found he was still trying to figure out what she had said, which made her laugh loudly. She turned to Nienna, and stared at her for a moment before grinning once again. "So much about you is uncertain... and yet I believe. Do I? Why, it seems I do."

  
Nienna furrowed her brows in confusion whilst Alistair chuckled to himself and gestured to the elderly woman.

  
"So this is the dreaded Witch of the Wilds?" He asked, turning to Nienna with a unimpressed expression on his face.

  
"Witch of the Wilds, eh? Morrigan must have told you that. She fancies such tales, though she would never admit it. Oh how she dances under the moon!" The old woman laughed, causing Morrigan to blush slightly and then grab her mother's arm.

  
"They did not come to listen to your wild tales, Mother." She said, through gritted teeth.

  
"True, they came for their treaties, yes?" She turned to the cottage and quickly opened the door, stepping inside for a moment. She returned with a bundle of paper in her hands which she handed over to Nienna, who in turn gave it to Alistair. "And before you begin barking, the seal wore off long ago. I have protected these."

  
"You- oh... You protected them?" Alistair looked down at the papers, checking them over and then looked back up to Morrigan's mother, feeling a little guilty for having been so rude to her.

  
"And why not? Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blight threat is greater than they realise." She responded.

  
"Thank you for returning them." Nienna said, giving the elder woman a soft smile.

  
"Such manners." She looked at Nienna once more, nodding to herself. Nienna looked confused yet again, but she shook her hand in the air. "Oh, do not mind me. You have what you came for!"

  
"Time for you to go then." Morrigan urged, hoping to be rid of these Wardens once and for all.

  
"Do not be ridiculous, child. These are your guests." Her mother grinned at her, knowing it would annoy Morrigan.

  
"Oh, very well. I will show you out of the woods." She sighed, shooting a deadly glare towards her mother, and began to walk back where they had came. "Follow me."

  
\- - - - - - - -  
Upon returning to Ostagar, Duncan was pleased to see them all still in one piece and that they had been successful in finding three vials of darkspawn blood and the Treaties. He told Nienna and the others that he would need a little time to prepare everything for the Joining and he went off with Alistair to discuss what happened in the Wilds.

  
Once Nienna was alone, she looked up to the sky. It was almost night, which meant the battle was gaining closer at hand, and she felt nervous about what was to come. Whilst she had a little time to spare, she decided now would be the best opportunity to see the Kennel Master. She made her way over the kennels, looking over the fence at the mabari she helped earlier. The poor beast was lying on the floor, yet it wasn't asleep. The kennel master came over to Nienna.

  
"The mabari is stable, for now but not improving. Did you manage to find that herb I told you about?" He asked, holding a small potion in his hands.

  
Nienna reached into her satchel and pulled out the flower. "Is this what you were looking for?"

  
The Kennel Master took it with his free hand and examined it. His face lit up and he thanked her, quickly ripping the flower up and placing it in the potion. "Thank you!" He quickly turned and opened up the gate, walking over to the mabari. He bent down, and lifted the beast's head up so he could pour the potion into his mouth. The mabari drank it all, and he managed to stand up, looking over to Nienna. She smiled to the hound, feeling relived that she was able to save him. The Kennel Master came back and shook Nienna's hand.

  
"He looks better already. I'm sure he'd thank you himself, if he could!" He said, smiling. He informed Nienna that she could come back to visit the mabari once the battle was over and he wished her luck as she left.

  
She made her way over back to the old temple ruins in the north of the camp where she saw a fire had been lit, meaning that the Ritual was now ready to begin.  
She approached Daveth and Ser Jory, who were already there. Alistair was there too, watching them from a distance.

   
Ser Jory seemed to be fidgeting with his hands, whilst Daveth smiled to Nienna as she stood by them. She was still feeling nervous, but she felt calmer knowing that her new friends would be by her side. Finally, Duncan made his way to them, holding a large silver chalice in his hands.

  
"At last, we come to the Joining." He declared, taking his place in front of them all. "The Grey Warden's were founded in the first Blight, when humanity stood of the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint."

  
Nienna raised her brows at hearing they would be drinking the darkspawn blood. She looked at the chalice in his hands and saw the liquid was the same colour as the blood they had gathered earlier. She felt her stomach tighten, starting to feel nauseous at the thought of having to drink it. Ser Jory, who was beside her, went pale and his heart was racing.

  
"We're... going to drink the blood of those creatures?" He asked, his voice weak. Duncan nodded, coming closer to them.

  
"As the first Grey Wardens did before us, as we did before you." He replied. Nienna glanced over at Alistair, who was watching her. He immediately looked away as her eyes met his, and he stared at the ground. Nienna saw his sad expression and she felt a sense of dread in the pit of stomach. She turned back to Duncan. "This is source of our power and our victory." He gestured over to Alistair, who came forward to talk to them.

  
"Those who survive the Joining become immune to the taint. We can sense it in the darkspawn and use it to slay the archdemon." He explained.

  
"Those who survive?" Nienna asked, looking around at her companions. Alistair looked away from her again.

  
"Not all who drink the blood will survive and those who do are forever changed. This is why the Joining is a secret." Duncan said solemnly. "This is the price we pay."

  
Daveth and Nienna both nodded, understanding what was to come but Ser Jory stood still, his skin turning ever more paler.

  
"We speak only a few words prior to the Joining, but these words have been said since the first. Alistair, if you would?" Duncan lowered his head and closed his eyes. Nienna looked at Alistair who also did the same. She followed as did Daveth, but Ser Jory kept his eyes on the chalice in Duncan's hands.

  
"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice shall not be forgotten. And one day we shall join you." Alistair said, in a soft tone. Nienna raised her head, unaware that she had been weeping. She quickly wiped the tears away with her hand, and held her head high, though she still felt terrified. But she had come this far, and now there was no going back.

  
Duncan held out the chalice to Daveth first, who took a breath and stepped forward, taking it into his hands. He took a big sip of the concoction, and handed it back to Duncan. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen and he felt relived that wasn't as bad as he had thought. But suddenly, he doubled over and clutched his stomach. He screamed out in pain as he threw his head back, his eyes now completely white. He fell to his knees, his hands going to his throat which felt as if it was on fire. He tried to gasp for air but he couldn't.

  
"I am sorry, Daveth." Duncan said, as Daveth fell down to the floor, never to get up again. Nienna brought her hand over her mouth as she gasped in shock. Daveth was dead. She looked at Duncan, then to Ser Jory, who was slowly stepping backwards. "Step forward, Jory."

  
Ser Jory drew his long-sword, holding it tightly in his shaking hands. "But... I have a wife... A child! Had I known...." He cried, tears falling down his face.

  
"There is no turning back." Duncan moved towards him and Ser Jory swung his blade forward.

  
"No! You ask too much! There is no glory in this!" He yelled, now becoming desperate. Duncan calmly placed the chalice down on the stone table behind him, and pulled out a dagger from his belt. Nienna's heart began to pound against her chest, and she lunged forward hoping to stop Duncan but Alistair moved fast, and he managed to wrap his arms around her waist, holding her back. Duncan dodged Ser Jory's attacks, and in an instant, he stabbed the dagger into Jory's side.

  
"I am sorry." He whispered, true agony in his voice. Jory groaned as his body fell to the floor and he died, his blood pooling out on to the stone floor. "But the Joining is not yet complete."

  
Nienna, who was still in Alistair's arms, was frozen and her mouth was agape. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked at the scene before her. She couldn't believe this was happening. Alistair slowly let her go and Duncan approached her, handing her the chalice. She took it without any thought, and then stared into the dark liquid.

  
"You are called upon to submit yourself to the taint for the greater good." Duncan said, taking a few steps back. Nienna's breathing was shaky and she felt such pain in her heart as she thought of Daveth and Jory, their corpses now growing pale and cold. She thought of her family she left behind, and her home. Her mother. She had already lost everything. And there was no going back. What more could she lose?

  
She took a big gulp from the chalice, returning it to Duncan once she had enough. She stood for a moment, waiting for the inevitable end. Her hands grasped her throat as she started to choke. Her mind was flooded with images of bright white lights and a loud roaring. The pain was unbearable and she thought this was truly her end. Until her head was thrown back, and her blue pupils turned pure white. The images in her mind became clearer now.

  
She saw a dragon... No, wait. A darkspawn? The archdemon... It called to her but she couldn't understand it. It roared and the sound was thunderous in her ears. Her body became overwhelmed by the pain and she fell crashing to the floor, her head pounding. As everything began to turn dark, she heard a familiar voice:

  
"From this moment on, you are a Grey Warden."

  
Then, there was nothing but darkness.


	5. Starting today, you are a Grey Warden.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna survives the Joining and the Battle of Ostagar is close at hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A smaller chapter than the others but there was a lot more action to cover and I struggle to write long action scenes so I skipped some parts and tried to focus on just one fighting scene but I know I just need more practise writing scenes like that so please bare with me.

Nienna's eyes fluttered open, the pounding in her head slowly beginning to fade as her sight adjusted to the now dark nighttime sky and the glow from the pale moonlight which shone overhead. Duncan and Alistair stood over her, both breathing a sigh of relief when she finally came to. Her head ached and she groaned as she tried to sit up.

  
"It is finished. Welcome." Duncan said. She took a moment to look around herself, remembering where she was and what had just happened. She was still in the old temple ruins where she was only moments ago. She realised that she must've collapsed after drinking the darkspawn blood, the taste of it still lingering in her throat. She glanced over to where Jory and Daveth had died; their bodies were no longer there, but Nienna felt her heart sink as she stared at their blood now stained on to the cold, stone floor.

  
"Two more deaths." Alistair sighed, also looking at the pool of blood. "In my Joining, only one of us died but it was... horrible. I'm glad at least one of you made it through."

  
Nienna couldn't help but begin to feel guilty that she had survived and the others did not. Ser Jory had a family waiting for him, he was a knight and a much better sword fighter than Nienna, and Daveth had potential, he was willing to do whatever was necessary for the Wardens and to prove himself. And Nienna? She suddenly felt completely hopeless. She is not a warrior like her mother was. She did not belong here. Slowly, Nienna got to her feet but she was still weak and she grabbed Duncan's arm for support.

  
"How do you feel?" Duncan asked, offering his other arm to help her. She held on to him for a moment before letting go.

  
"Nothing you said prepared me for that." She replied, shakily.

  
"Such is what it takes to be a Grey Warden." Duncan met her eyes and she looked away. She could not find the strength to look at him, after what he did to Ser Jory. "Take some time. When you are ready, I would like you to accompany me to a meeting with the king. He will be discussing strategies for the upcoming battle. He has requested you be there too, though he did not tell me why."

  
Nienna nodded, and Duncan walked away. Her heart sank even further. She was now a full Grey Warden and she was about to take part in the battle to stop the Blight, even though she still felt that she was completely unprepared. Alistair came close to Nienna, fiddling with something small that he held in his hands.

  
"Did you have dreams?" He said, startling Nienna slightly. She was lost in her thoughts and had forgotten Alistair was there. "I had terrible dreams after my Joining."

 

"Yes... I can't remember what the dream was about exactly, but..." She looked down at her trembling hands, clenching them into a fist to stop them from shaking. "I was so frightened."

  
"Duncan will explain what those dreams are. It's quite a long story." Nienna looked up to Alistair. He smiled softly to her, and then remembered that he had something in his hand. "Oh, before I forget, there is one last part to your Joining. We take the remaining darkspawn blood and put it into a pendant. Something to remind us of those who didn't make it this far."

  
He offered out his hand to her and she took the necklace that was resting on his palm. She held it up and saw the pendant filled with the crimson darkspawn blood. She held it tightly in her hands, feeling quite pleased that she had something to remember the others by.

  
"Oh, and one last thing, Duncan and I weren't sure if these would fit you but we have some armour laid out for you to change in to." Alistair pointed over to the stone table and Nienna saw that each piece of the armour had been laid out upon the surface of the table.

  
Nienna thanked Alistair and he left her to get changed. She struggled for a while to get the armour on; it was a little too big on her small, thin frame but she tightened the belt as best as she could and looked down at her new attire. The light Warden armour was different when compared to the heavy armour Alistair and Duncan were wearing. It gave Nienna more protection but also allowed her to move about just as freely as her loose tunic did. The bright royal blue colour was a stark contrast to the dull colours she's usually worn but it made her blonde hair look lighter and it also brought the light blue colour of her pupils. She attached her daggers to the belt across her waist and cleaned up her mother's boots which she still wore on her feet, then she began to make her way to Duncan and King Cailan.

  
She walked through the ruins which were at the north of the camp and heard overlapping voices coming from the end of the old hall. She turned her head and saw King Cailan having a rather heated discussion with Teryn Loghain. Nienna quietly made her way over and she stood by Duncan who was observing their conversation.

  
"Loghain, my decision is final." The King said, his golden armour glowing in the reflection of the many torches surrounding the table. "I will stand by the Grey Wardens in this assault."

  
"You risk too much, Cailan." Loghain exclaimed. "The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing hero on the front lines."

  
"If that's the case, then perhaps we should wait for the Orlesian forces, after all."

  
"I must repeat my protests to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves."

  
Nienna stopped listening at this point; her head was still aching from the Joining so she looked down at the map upon the table. There were markings made on particular locations and small tokens to symbolise each faction of the armies. Nienna knew nothing about battles or how to prepare for them and she wanted to take a closer look but King Cailan's voice snapped her back to their conversation.

  
"Duncan, are your men ready for battle?" He asked, turning to both Duncan and Nienna across the table.

  
"They are, Your Majesty." Duncan replied.

  
"And this is the recruit I met earlier on the road? I understand congratulations are in order." The King said, smiling at Nienna.

  
"Thank you, Your Majesty." She bowed her head to him, and he let out a cheerful laugh.

  
"Every Grey Warden is needed now. You should be honoured to join their ranks." King Cailan's smile quickly faded once Loghain scowled at him.

  
"Your fascinations with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan. We must attend to reality." Loghain sneered, shooting a glare towards Nienna, who in return glared at him. She did not like his attitude towards the King, but his distaste for the Wardens seemed annoyed her too.

  
"Fine, speak your strategy." King Cailan lent forward, resting his hands upon the table. "The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then...?"

  
"You will alert the tower to light the beacon," Loghain began, also leaning forward and pointing to mark on the map. "signalling my men to charge from cover-"

  
"To flank the darkspawn!" The King interrupted, another smile upon his lips. "This is the Tower of Ishal in the ruins, yes? Who shall light this beacon?"

  
"I have a few men stationed there. It's not a dangerous task but it is a vital one."

  
"Then we shall send our best." King Cailan stood upright. "We shall send Alistair and the new Warden, Nienna, to make sure it's done."

  
Nienna's heart started pounding, and she looked at Duncan. "You mean... I won't be fighting in the battle?" She asked, feeling slightly relieved she wasn't going to be fighting but also terrified at the prospect of having such an important task placed upon her.

  
"We need the beacon. Without it, Loghain's men won't know when to charge." Duncan explained, placing a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. She still felt nervous but she nodded, knowing that it was either this or fighting in the main battle.

  
"You see? Glory for everyone!" The King cried, gleaming with joy at the thought of finally having the chance to fight alongside Duncan and the rest of the Wardens.

  
"The plan will suffice. The Grey Wardens will light the beacon." Loghain said, through slightly gritted teeth. He was not happy with the King's decision but he knew there was no way to change his mind.  
"Thank you, Loghain. I cannot wait for that glorious moment! The Grey Wardens battle beside the King of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil!" The King cheered.

  
"Yes, Cailan. A glorious moment for us all." Loghain took his leave first, shooting Nienna one more cold stare as he walked away. She shook her head at him, but then smiled at Cailan who was beaming with delight. His optimism caused Nienna to feel more content with the plan and to feel more comfortable at the idea of being a Warden. He looked at her with such admiration even though she was nothing more than a lowly city elf. Yet being a Warden meant she was special. She was more than just another knife-ear. She felt a warm feeling in her chest and she smiled to herself.

  
\- - - - - - - - -

  
The camp was much more livelier than when Nienna had first arrived. People were darting around trying to get their armour and weapons prepared for the battle, as well as getting in some last minute training. A large bonfire had been lit in the middle of the camp, mainly to give more light as the sky was now pure black and the moon was no longer in sight. Duncan stood in front of the bonfire, with Nienna and Alistair before him, awaiting his words.

  
"Here is the plan, Alistair. You and Nienna will go to the Tower of Ishal and ensure the beacon is lit." Duncan said, gesturing to them and then in the direction of the path they would take.

  
"What? I won't be in the battle?" Alistair whined.

  
"This is by the King's personal request, Alistair. If the beacon is not lit, then Teryn Loghain's men won't know when to charge."

  
"So he needs two Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch just in case, right?" Alistair said, obviously very annoyed at this arrangement. Nienna found it strange how she had been glad to not be involved in the fighting yet Alistair was desperate to ride out with the others, but she knew Alistair had been waiting for his big moment to come and now it would appear he would not share it with his fellow Wardens.

  
"We must do whatever it takes to destroy the darkspawn, exciting or no." Duncan retorted, folding his arms across his chest. Alistair groaned but nodded, accepting the situation.

  
"I get it, I get it. Just so you know, if the King ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."

  
"I think I'd like to see that." Nienna suddenly blurted out, a smirk across her lips. Alistair turned to her, surprised to hear her being witty again.

  
"For you, maybe. But it would have to be a pretty dress." He quipped, smirking back at her. Duncan sighed loudly whilst watching the two of them and soon they both turned their attention back to him.

  
"Now, the tower is on the other side of the gorge from the King's camp, the way we came when we first arrived." Duncan began to explain, "You'll need to cross the bridge and head through the gate and up to the tower entrance. From the top, you'll overlook the entire valley."

  
"When do we light the beacon?" Nienna asked, making sure to make a mental note of everything Duncan said.

  
"We will signal you when the time is right. Alistair will know what to look for."

  
"Alright. Then we know what to do."

  
"Then I must join the others. From here on, you two are on your own. Remember, you are both Grey Wardens. I expect you to be worthy of that title." Duncan said, looking at Alistair and then at Nienna. He looked closely at her as she stared down at the ground. She was still worried about proving her worth as a Warden and she still felt that she did not belong here among them, but Duncan's words roused her and she stood tall and held her head high. Duncan smiled at her, knowing that he had made the right choice in conscripting her. He began to take his leave, when Alistair reached out to him.

  
"Duncan..." He said, his voice in a low tone. "May the Maker watch over you."

  
"May He watch over us all." Duncan sighed. He patted Alistair on his back, and marched off with King Cailan and his army, and soon the camp was almost empty. Nienna turned to Alistair, who was still looking in the direction of where Duncan had walked off.

  
"He will be fine, Alistair." Nienna reassured him. "He is a brave man."

  
"Yes... I know." Alistair did not seem so sure but he appreciated what Nienna was trying to do. "Right, let's get going. Do you have everything?"

  
She patted her satchel, and tightened the ties on her daggers making sure they were secured on her belt. Then she and Alistair made their way to the east of the camp. The battle had begun and Nienna could feel a terrible presence nearby. Alistair explained that it was the darkspawn she could sense, and that they could sense them too. This news did not help Nienna's already nervous deposition but they pressed on and soon found themselves at the opening of the bridge.

  
The cries coming from down the valley were just as loud as if Nienna was down there with them. She heard the sounds of metal against metal, the shrieks from the darkspawn and the screams of the men who were being slaughtered. She and Alistair picked up their pace and they rushed across the bridge, making sure not to get in the way of the archers posted there. As they ran past, Nienna took a glance at the battlefield. The night sky made it hard to see but the flames from the torches and from the Mages fire helped her get a good enough sight of the carnage. She saw the ground covered in blood and the bodies of darkspawn and men strewn around the field.

  
Then suddenly, a flaming boulder came crashing into the bridge, causing some of the archers to be blown back by the impact. Nienna skidded to a stop as another crashed just behind her and she turned to see the archers on the floor, screaming in pain as the fire engulfed them. Alistair grabbed her hand and told her that they needed to keep going and they continued running over the bridge, managing to dodge the rest of catapult attacks.

  
Once they were over, they didn't look back and kept their pace until they came across the wooden gates to the tower which were broken in two. They ran past and quickly reached the steps leading to the doors into the tower.

  
"Alistair!" Nienna cried out, pointing to a pile of corpses at the side of the stairs. Alistair examined them and he discovered the bodies were men from Loghain's army, meaning that the darkspawn had found their way into the tower.

  
"We're going to be on our own. Are you ready?" He asked her, drawing his sword and shield. Nienna's heart beat hard against her chest and every inch of her wanted to say no, she was not ready and she had never felt more scared in her life. But she knew she couldn't let Alistair do this alone, she had to step up and make Duncan proud. She was a Grey Warden and she needed to be brave. Nodding her head, she pulled out her daggers and they opened the door leading into the tower.

  
\- - - - - - - - -

  
They reached the top floor of the tower, covered in the blood from the darkspawn they had killed on their way through. Nienna slit the throat of the Hurlock who was blocking her path, and as she pulled her other dagger from it's stomach, she glanced over to Alistair who was busy fighting off two genlocks. Alistair had informed Nienna of the names of each type of Darkspawn as they had fought them, to allow Nienna to understand the differences in their weaknesses. She ran over to him, helping him finish off the last genlock and as its body hit the ground, they took a moment to catch their breath.

  
"The beacon should be up those stairs." Alistair said, gesturing to a nearby staircase. Nienna took a breath, already feeling exhausted but she knew this fight was not over yet. They proceeded to run up the stairs together, feeling relived that this was almost over. They had no idea what was happening on the battlefield, or if the signal had been fired already but they couldn't give up now.

  
Once they were at the top of the stairs, they entered a large circular room with windows as long as the walls surrounding them. At the other side of the room was a large fire pit, which was the beacon they needed to light. Nienna started to walk towards it when Alistair suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

  
"Look out!" He cried, as a huge piece of debris came hurtling towards her. Alistair managed to pull her back in time and they turned in the direction it came from; to their astonishment, it was an enormous darkspawn ogre with a large broken piece of the wall in its hands. It threw the remaining debris at them, causing them to split up as they jumped out of the way. The ogre roared loudly, the sound was deafening to Nienna's ears, and it charged towards Alistair who was trying to get to his feet. Nienna, in her lighter armour, was quickly back up and she yelled out to Alistair, running towards the ogre and jumping up, stabbing her daggers into its back and pulling down with all her strength to stop the creature from running into Alistair. It screeched loudly as it was being pulled back by her. She was nowhere near as strong at the beast but she used all the weight to dig the daggers deeper into its hide.

  
It swung its arms about in the hopes of trying to fling her off but she held on as tightly as she could. Alistair was now up and he banged his sword against his shield a few times, causing the creature to turn back to him. Now the ogre was distracted, Nienna pulled out her daggers and grabbed onto the creature's sharp spine which jutted out of its thick hide and she pulled herself up onto its back, wrapping her legs around its neck. She raised up her hands and was about to jab her daggers down into its head when the beast quickly reacted, reaching up and grabbing Nienna's arms with its own huge claws. It held her tightly in its grasp, and the ogre lifted her off its neck and in one fell swoop, she was thrown across the room, her back slammed against the stone flooring as she crashed down to the ground. Her daggers fell out of her hands as she groaned out of pain.

  
Alistair swiped his sword at the ogre's feet, trying to cut behind its ankles but the beast flung its arms trying to hit him first. Its claws scratched against Alistair's shield as he blocked its attacks, his other hand free trying hit the creature with his sword. Nienna slowly pushed herself up, her back aching from the impact of hitting the floor. She watched as the creature bashed down on Alistair's shield, and he cowered underneath it, unable to move or retaliate. Suddenly, the ogre ripped the shield out from his hands, and Alistair took a few steps back completely in shock at the beast before him. The ogre roared once more, its foul breath causing Alistair to grimace at the smell. He yelled back and swung his sword once more towards the giant darkspawn. His sword stuck itself in the beast's shin, causing it to shriek loudly but Alistair was now without a weapon, and the creature was only more angry.

  
It swooped down and picked up Alistair in its hand, squeezing his body tightly. He cried out in agony and Nienna felt her heart skip a beat and she knew she needed to react quickly. Without a second thought, she bent down to pick up her daggers.

  
"For the Wardens!" She screamed, a phrase she had heard Alistair cry before. She bolted towards the ogre, who turned to her as she held up her daggers with her arms over her head. Alistair tried to wriggle out of the creature's grip but the more he struggled, the tighter the ogre held him. Nienna was now close to the darkspawn and it lifted it's free arm, ready to grab Nienna yet again but as soon as she was in reach, she dropped her arms, fell to her knees and slid under the beast. In a flash, she held her daggers back up as she slid past it's underbelly and sliced open its stomach. The creature screamed out in agony, dropping Alistair to the floor and stumbled backwards, holding its wound. Nienna quickly rose to her feet and she took her chance. She jumped up and stabbed her daggers into its chest, causing the beast to fall back and slam against the floor yet it was not finished. Nienna, still gripping onto her daggers, dug her heels into the creature's skin to keep herself steady as it fell, then she lifted her daggers out and stabbed it once more in its head, delivering the final blow.

  
All went quiet, and Nienna could once again hear the cries from the battlefield outside the tower. She breathed deeply, trying to make sense of what she had just done. The ogre's body was covered in blood and its stomach was halfway out of its belly, and Nienna's new armour was also covered in its blood. She pulled out her daggers, and jumped off the now dead creature's chest, landing on the floor. She rushed over to Alistair who was retrieving his sword from the creature's leg.

  
"Quickly, we missed the signal!" He cried, both of them rushing over to the fire pit. Nienna picked up the tinder box that was kept beside the kindling, and in a moment the fire was up and the flames made their way to the very top of the tower. The beacon was finally lit and Nienna and Alistair let out a cheer. Nienna hurried over to the window, to see the how the battle was now going. It was still dark but the light from the beacon helped illuminate more of the valley. She saw Loghain's army upon the top of the valley, preparing to charge into the busy battlefield below. His troops began to move, but they suddenly turned in the wrong direction and began to walk away. Nienna furrowed her brows, squinting her eyes to make sure she did not see it wrong. But she was not mistaken, Loghain's men weren't going into battle.

  
She rushed back to Alistair, who was waiting to hear what she had to say but before she could open her mouth, an arrow pierced her shoulder and she stumbled back in shock. Alistair cried out, but she remained silent out of shock. She looked down at the arrow which was lodged into her body, and then back to Alistair who had turned to see more darkspawn approaching them from the stairs. Another arrow found its mark in her chest and she fell instantly to the floor. She heard Alistair scream out her name, and she heard the sounds of sword's clashing then the sound of his armour crashing to the ground but she could not move and soon, everything faded to black.


	6. And so their journey begins.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna awakes to find herself back in the Wilds and has to deal with the aftermath of the Battle of Ostagar and Loghain's betrayal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been following the game's cutscenes very closely these last few chapters but now I will try to focus on creating my own stories and writing more of my own dialogue. I will still use the game as a starting point but I don't want to take everything from the game especially as I assume most of you all have played it and know what happens in the quests anyway. But I hope you enjoy this chapter! I will try to post weekly if I can but due to work, I don't always have the time to write. But I will try my best to keep updating this fic!

The sound of a crackling fire and a wooden spoon being scraped around the inside of a cooking pot roused Nienna awake and she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes to the dimly lit room. For a moment, she thought she was back in the alienage. The ceiling to the room was grey from mould and the walls were bleak and beige much like her home. But the bed she was lying on was softer than her old bed, and the muggy smell from the swamp outside was enough for her to realise that she was back in the Korcari Wilds. But where exactly she could not tell.

  
"Ah, your eyes finally open." A familiar voice said, from the opposite side of the small room. Nienna sat up on her elbows, her vision still blurred and fuzzy. She rubbed her eyes with her right hand and let out a long yawn. The woman stood up from the beside the fireplace and made her way over to Nienna. "Mother shall be pleased."

  
Nienna's vision slowly returned and she raised her brows in surprise as she saw the woman that she had met a day ago in the Wilds stood before her.

  
"I... remember you." Nienna croaked, her throat slightly dry. "The girl from the Wilds." The woman nodded, a smile across her lips.

  
"I am Morrigan, lest you have forgotten. And we are in the Wilds, where I am tending to your wounds."

  
Nienna's body bolted upright as she remembered what had happened the night before and her hand went straight to her right shoulder where the arrow had pierced her. She was no longer in her armour; she was in her undergarments but this meant she could easily see her wound was bandaged tightly, going across her chest and then wrapping around her shoulder. The bandage was clean and Nienna felt no pain as she moved her arm up and down.

  
"You are welcome, by the way." Morrigan declared, folding her arms across her chest. "How does your memory fare? Do you remember Mother's rescue?"

  
"I... remember being overwhelmed by darkspawn." Nienna thought hard to remember the events that occurred last night, but her head was aching and she couldn't think quite so clearly. She remembered the tower, the beacon and then being shot down by the darkspawn.

  
"Mother managed to save you and your friend, though t'was a close call. What is important is that you both live." Morrigan bite her lip, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news but she knew that Nienna deserved to know what happened. "The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won your battle. Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friend... he is not taking it too well."

  
Nienna's heart ached in her chest and she lowered her head down in sorrow. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she thought of all those lives lost at Ostagar. First she thought of Daveth and Ser Jory, two lives which were cut so short, then she thought of the King and Duncan, who had both been so kind to her and who had gave her this opportunity for a new life. And now they were gone and once again, Nienna felt guilty that she managed to survive. Then she lifted her head back up as someone else came to mind.

  
"My friend? You mean.... Alistair?" She asked, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

  
"The suspicious, dim-witted one who was with you before, yes." Morrigan replied bluntly. "He is outside by the fire."

  
Nienna felt her heart soar at the thought of Alistair being alive. She felt a smile fall upon her lips but she shook it off and returned her attention back to Morrigan who had gathered Nienna's armour and placed it beside her on the bed. Nienna stood up and started to dress herself as Morrigan turned away and resumed stirring the stew she was making beside the fireplace.

  
"Were my injuries severe?" Nienna asked, pulling her white tunic over her head without feeling any pain in her shoulder as she did so.

  
"Yes, but I expect you shall be fine. The darkspawn did nothing Mother could not heal. Though she has given you an elixir to stop the pain and it will wear off in a few hours. You may find it will begin to hurt again, but the wound is healed and it will not kill you. But the scar will also remain."

  
"Oh, I see." Nienna was now tightening her belt across her thin waist. "What about Alistair? Is he all right?"

  
"He is... as you are." Morrigan sighed out of annoyance. "I suppose it would be unkind to say he is being childish."

  
Nienna snapped her head in Morrigan's direction, frowning at her. "Yes, it would be very unkind! Those were his friends!"

  
"And you think they would encourage his blubbering?" She retaliated, looking up from the cooking pot. "If so, they are not the sort of Grey Wardens the legends note."

  
Nienna shook her head in disagreement and returned to tying to her daggers on to her belt. She was now fully dressed in her armour, although the once bright royal blue colour that had made her feel stronger and braver now left her feeling sorrowful at the thought of the Wardens who died in the battle. Nienna turned from the bed, watching Morrigan as she ground some herbs into a small bowl, then poured the contents into the cooking pot. She had felt angry at Morrigan just then for her comments about Alistair, but she still felt grateful for her and her mother's help.

  
"Thank you for helping me, Morrigan." Nienna said, with a soft smile upon her lips. Morrigan sat up straight on the wooden stool she was sitting on, her eyebrows raised in surprise at Nienna's words.

  
"I... you are welcome." She stammered, her pale cheeks flushing a light shade of crimson and bowing her head slightly. "Though Mother did most of the work, I am no healer. Mother asked to see you when you awoke."

  
She returned to the stew and Nienna made her way to the door of the hut. Turning the handle, it creaked open and she stepped out into the Wilds, at the same place she had first met Morrigan's mother a day before. The sun was bright, yet the sky was clouded and grey; everything seemed to have a more solemn atmosphere. Nienna glanced around and she found Morrigan's mother stood a few feet from her with her back to the hut. She was looking forward and Nienna's eyes followed the direction and her eyes fell on Alistair who was stood by the swamp in front of the hut, deeply lost in his thoughts. Morrigan's mother turned her head as she heard Nienna approaching and a grin formed upon her thin wrinkled lips.

  
"See? Here is your fellow Grey Warden now. You worry too much, young man." She called out to Alistair. He slowly raised his head, only half listening to her but as soon as he saw Nienna making her way to him, he let out a gasp and rushed to her. He threw his arms around her and held her tightly against him, his head buried in her blonde hair. Nienna was surprised at his reaction, but she felt comfort in his embrace and she gently wrapped her arms around him and hugged back.

  
"You... You're alive." He whispered, his voice low and soft. He chuckled in disbelief as he pulled his head back to look at her face. "I thought you were dead for sure."

  
Nienna looked into his puffy, bloodshot eyes and she knew instantly that he had been crying. She had never been this close to Alistair before, and in the sunlight she could see that he had freckles on his tanned skin and his eyes were a light brown colour.

  
"I am fine, Alistair." She spoke softly. "I appreciate your concern."

  
Alistair pulled away from the embrace, and rubbed his hand against his face, wiping away the rest of his tears. "This doesn't seem real. If it weren't for Morrigan's mother, we'd be dead at the top of that tower."

  
"Do not talk about me as if I am not present, lad." Morrigan's mother suddenly snapped, stepping forward.

  
"But what do we call you? You never told us your name." He asked, feeling a little embarrassed that he had forgot she was here.

  
"Names are pretty, but useless. The chasind folk call me Flemeth. I suppose that will do."

  
"The Flemeth? From the legends?" Alistair moved closer to Nienna's side, standing straighter. "You're the witch of the wilds, aren't you?"

  
"And what does that mean? I know a bit of magic and it has served you well, has it not?" She hissed, seeming to become more annoyed at Alistair's accusation.

  
"Thank you for all your help, Flemeth." Nienna blurted out, trying to diffuse the tension. "Is there any way we can repay you?"

  
Flemeth let out a loud cackle and she smiled at Nienna. "All that I wish you to do is what you are meant to do. It has always been the Grey Wardens' duty to unite the lands against the Blight. Or did that change when I wasn't looking?"

  
"But we were fighting the darkspawn! We had nearly defeated them! Why would Loghain do this?" Alistair cried out.

  
"Now that is a great question. Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature." Flemeth declared. Nienna silently nodded in agreement. She knew all to well how dark a man's heart could be. "Perhaps he believes the Blight is an army he can outmanoeuvre. Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat."

  
"The archdemon." Alistair muttered under his breath in realisation. "What could Loghain hope to gain in betraying King Cailan? Does he want the throne? If Arl Eamon knew what he did, he would never stand for it! There would be civil war."

  
"Arl Eamon?" Nienna asked, realising that she still knew nothing about the outside world.

  
"The Arl of Redcliffe. He wasn't at Ostagar; he still has all his men. And he was Cailan's uncle. I know him. He's a good man, respected in the Landsmeet." Suddenly, an idea sprung into his mind. "Of course! We could go to Redcliffe and appeal to him for help!"

  
"Everyone will see the danger that the Blight poses, right?" Nienna said, noticing that Flemeth had turned and gone back into the hut.

  
"It's been centuries since the last Blight. No one will take it seriously until it's too late." Alistair sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

  
"We'll find a way to convince them all. It's up to us, after all." Nienna reassured, though she was already feeling worried about the quest they had before them. But then, Flemeth returned with something in her hands.

  
"You have more at your disposal than you think." Flemeth exclaimed, placing a leather satchel into Nienna's hands. She recognised it at once; it was her satchel but it had been ruined in the attack by the darkspawn in the tower and it was barely usable. The leather had been pierced by several arrows and the strap had been broken but Nienna lifted the cover and peered inside to see what remained. Her potions were gone and her mirror shard was smashed but she found some papers that had been folded up right at the bottom of the bag and they had been left unharmed by the damage. She unfolded the paper and saw that these were the Grey Warden treaties. She had them in her bag the whole time and she gasped, showing them to Alistair.

  
"Of course! The treaties!" He cried, finally beginning to feel less hopeless. "Grey Wardens can demand allies from the Dwarves, Elves, Mages and other places! They are oblige to help us during a Blight!"

  
"I may be old, but dwarves, elves, mages, this Arl Eamon and who knows what else... This sounds like an army to me." Flemeth declared, folding her arms against her chest.

  
"So can we do this? Go to Redcliffe and these other places and... build an army?" Alistair asked, turning to Nienna.

  
"Why not? Isn't that what Grey Wardens do?" Nienna shrugged, a playful smirk on her lips.

  
"So you are set, then? Ready to be Grey Wardens?" Flemeth asked, looking distinctly at Nienna in particular.

  
Nienna thought for a moment. She still felt fear about what she being asked to do, but she knew this had to be done for the good of all Thedas. She thought of Duncan and King Cailan, how they had believed in her and trusted her until the very end. She knew she owed it to them to do her duty as a Warden and to see this through. Then she looked at Alistair, who stood beside her with a smile upon his lips. Her heart fluttered and she felt stronger as she looked at him. She was glad he was still here with her and that she would not face this alone. She took a breath and then nodded.  
"Yes... thank you for again for everything, Flemeth." She said, bowing her head slightly to the old woman.

  
"No, no. Thank you. You are the Grey Wardens here, not I. Now... before you go, there is yet one more thing I can offer you." Flemeth turned her head as Morrigan took her place beside her.

  
"The stew is bubbling, Mother. Shall we have two guests for the eve or none?" Morrigan asked, shooting a quick glare to Alistair.

  
"The Grey Warden's are leaving shortly, girl." Flemeth replied with a grin. Morrigan pulled an exaggerated sad face, pretending that she was upset at their departure. "And you will be joining them."

  
"Such a shame- WHAT?" Morrigan's expression quickly dropped into one of shock and her head snapped to look at her Mother.

  
"You heard me, girl! The last time I looked, you had ears!" Flemeth cackled. Nienna turned to Alistair, whose mouth was also agape. Turning back to Morrigan, she saw the fear in her eyes at her mother's suggestion.

  
"Thank you, but if Morrigan doesn't wish to join us-" Nienna began before Flemeth held up her hand to stop her.

  
"Her magic will be useful. Even better, she knows the wilds and how to get past the horde."

  
"Have I no say in this?" Morrigan cried, beginning to feel angry towards her mother.

  
"You have been itching to get out of the Wilds for years. Here is your chance." Flemeth turned back to Nienna and Alistair. "As for you, Wardens, consider this repayment for your lives."

  
"Of course. We'd be happy to have her come along with us." Nienna declared, knowing that Alistair was not at all happy but she knew that they owed Flemeth for saving their lives. She quickly shot Alistair a look as she knew he was about to protest but he just sighed and nodded along with her.

  
"Mother, this is not how I wanted this. I am not even ready-" Morrigan complained. Flemeth shook her head and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders, holding her firmly.

  
"You must be ready. Alone, these two must unite Ferelden against the darkspawn." She said, looking right into her eyes. "They need you, Morrigan. Without you, they will surely fail and all will perish under the Blight. Even I."

  
"I... understand." Morrigan sighed, nodding her head.

  
"And you, Wardens? Do you understand? I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you must succeed." Flemeth said, turning back to the Wardens. Nienna couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest at what Flemeth said. Their relationship made her think of her own Mother and how she much she missed her. She knew what Flemeth was asking of her and she was more than happy to oblige.

  
"She will not come to any harm with us." Nienna exclaimed. Alistair once again went to speak but Nienna held up her hand and he remained silent.

  
"Allow me to get my things, if you please." Morrigan said, reluctantly. She went back into the hut and Flemeth followed after her, leaving Nienna and Alistair alone for a moment. As soon as they were in the hut, Alistair let out a groan.

  
"Do you really want to bring her along because her mother says so?" He asked, pulling a face of disgust. Nienna chuckled at his behaviour.

  
"We need all the help we can get, Alistair." She replied, giving him a reassuring smile. He couldn't help but smile back and then he rolled his eyes playfully.

  
"I guess you're right. The Grey Wardens have always taken allies wherever they could find them." As he finished his sentence, Morrigan and Flemeth returned with a pack of potions, cooking pots & wooden plates and one bedroll. Morrigan swung the pack over her right shoulder, tying the strap into her shoulder pad to keep it in place.

  
"I am at your disposal, Grey Wardens." Morrigan said, leaning with her other arm on her wooden staff. "I suggest a village north of the Wilds as our first destination. 'Tis not far and you will find much of what you need there."

  
"That sounds good to me!" Nienna agreed. She was excited to see more of Thedas and to learn more about the world around her, and she was glad to have another join her on this quest.

  
"Farewell, Mother. Do not forget the stew on the fire. I would hate to return to a burned down hut." Morrigan said, looking at her mother. Flemeth cackled once more and then swatted her hand around.

  
"'Tis far more likely that you will return to see this entire area, along with my hut, swallowed up by the Blight." She cried, seeming to show no remorse towards her daughter leaving.

  
"I... all I meant was..." Morrigan muttered, trying to hide her feelings but it was clear she was upset at having to leave her mother and the life she knew behind. It reminded Nienna of when she had to leave her alienage behind, along with her family and she knew how Morrigan was feeling.

  
"Yes, I know." Flemeth responded, much more softer and calmer than before. She gave her daughter a slow nod and a half smile. "Do try to have fun, dear."

  
And with that parting, Flemeth returned into her hut and Morrigan took once last look at her home before quickly clearing her throat and beginning to walk forward into the Wilds.

  
"Come. We must be wary as there may still be some darkspawn in the area. We must make our way to Lothering as quickly as we can." She said, taking the lead. Nienna and Alistair followed, their weapons drawn. This was the start of their quest and Nienna felt hopeful that the worst was now behind them.


	7. Journey to Lothering.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna Tabris and Alistair, her fellow Grey Warden make their way to Lothering along with apostate Morrigan and they all run into an unexpected companion along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I had said in last chapter's notes that I wouldn't be relying on dialogue from the games anymore, but I am afraid I will still be using by dialogue as I still do not feel confident enough in my writing to rewrite scenes into my own words. I have tried to change it up a little, so that the story still feels independent to Nienna and I have written my own scene at the start of this chapter but perhaps as I become more confident, I will be more experimental! ^o^ I struggled with this chapter for a while because my real life job is taking up so much of my time and I didn't have the motivation for a long while but I hope you all like this new chapter! Sorry it ends so quickly but I couldn't think of a better way to end it without writing a whole extra scene but I will leave that for the next chapter. I hope you enjoy! :D

Keeping to the outskirts of the Korcari Wilds, Nienna and her companions began their journey to the small village of Lothering, located on the borders of the Wilds. Morrigan explained this was the best place to start and to stock up on the supplies they would need for the task that lied ahead of them.

As they made their way through the Wilds, they encountered few darkspawn, mostly stragglers from the main horde. They dealt with the darkspawn fairly quickly, yet Nienna began to notice that she could sense when they were nearby. She felt uneasy, like she was being watched and she could feel the air change. Alistair explained to her that she would soon learn to master this and how the darkspawn could sense them in return, so they had to be careful and keep to the path Morrigan was following.

Nienna used this opportunity to learn more about her companions. She asked Alistair about his life first, and she learned that he used to live in Redcliffe Castle with Arl Eamon. He told her how he lived quite happily with Eamon until he was sent away to the Chantry and his templar training began. Nienna had heard of the templars through talk at her alienage but she asked Alistair what a templar truly was. He gave a full explanation into templars and gave Nienna as much history as he could remember. She was fully interested in learning about them, though Morrigan scoffed and mocked Alistair as he spoke, expressing her full dislike of the templars and their order.

Nienna then tried to ask Morrigan about her life. She said there was not much to tell; she had lived with Flemeth in the Wilds yet she had an extensive knowledge of the world, though she had never seen much of it. Her mother taught her everything she knew about magic, something which caused Alistair to disagree with and they bickered once more. They all talked for a long time, sharing information about one another until the sun began to set overhead and the clouded sky became a pastel pinkish orange colour.

Their conversation eventually came to an end as Alistair became quieter and started to walk with his head kept down. Nienna knew that he was thinking about Duncan but she didn't want to bring it up whilst Morrigan was nearby because she knew she would disapprove of his grieving and she decided it was best for Alistair to have some time to himself, yet she came closer to him and walked by his side in case he needed her. Morrigan questioned Nienna on how she became a Warden but she quickly changed the subject. Nienna did want to discuss what had happened in the alienage, at least not until she knew she could trust her new companions.

The sun had almost set and the sky was growing darker when Nienna became aware she was walking slower than before, her feet practically dragging themselves across the dry ground. The elixir that Flemeth had given her was beginning to wear off, and her wound was causing her a discomforting pain in her shoulder. Alistair and Morrigan were now ahead of her and she tried to keep up but the pain was becoming worse. She did not want to complain so she forced herself to speed up.

Then suddenly, Morrigan stopped in her tracks, pointing to a flat piece of land beside the path a little further ahead. It was the only part of the wilds with a ground of flat green grass and it was rounded by trees which allowed some cover.

"We shall stop here to rest." She said, turning back to Alistair and Nienna who finally managed to catch up to them.

"I thought you said we wouldn't rest tonight? We are not too far from Lothering if my memory is right." Alistair exclaimed, furrowing his brows.

"We will not be sleeping here, but we must eat. And if you were to stop sulking for a moment, you would notice that your fellow Warden is in pain." She gestured to Nienna, and Alistair quickly turned to look at her, only now noticing that she was pressing her left hand onto her wounded shoulder and she could barely stand. He quickly rushed to her side, placing his arm around her, leading her over to Morrigan who was already setting up their make shift camp. She found a fallen log for Nienna to sit on, then she began to set her pack down and she pulled out her cooking pots and the wooden plates she had brought with her from her Mother's hut.

Nienna took a seat on the log, hissing in pain as she did so. Beads of sweat glistened on her pale forehead and she breathed deeply as she tried to calm herself. Morrigan threw a potion towards Alistair who caught it in mid-air. He took off the lid, and held it up to Nienna's lips.

"Thank you. I just need a moment, that's all." Nienna said, breathlessly. She drank it down and gripped at the log beneath her with her nails, trying to ground herself. Alistair sat beside her, a worried expression on his face. "We should not stop... It's... too dangerous."

"Nonsense. We need to eat, and you will need to regain your strength. 'Tis no worry, as you and Alistair can sense the darkspawn should they come too near." Morrigan took up her staff and faced the trees surrounding them. "I will need to collect some wood for the fire. I will not be long."

She disappeared into the clearing and Nienna found the pain in her shoulder beginning to fade away, thanks to the potion. She sat up straight, and she lifted her hand to wipe the sweat off her brow but Alistair's hand reached out first and he wiped her brow with a small cloth he had in his hand. She looked at him and he gave her a small smile, then he looked down, fumbling with the cloth as he put it back into the small pouch attached to his belt.

"I'm sorry... I didn't notice you weren't feeling well. I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts. I'm..." He mumbled with a low voice.

"Don't apologise, Alistair. You have other things on your mind." She spoke softly, her strength slowly coming back to her. "How are you feeling?"

Alistair raised his brows at her question and then chucked lightly. She was almost about to faint not moments ago, yet she asked how he was feeling.

"Well... aside from losing all of my friends and facing near death in the span of a few days, I'd say I'm doing pretty good." He joked, causing Nienna to laugh with him. Nienna looked down at her hands as she began to feel more normal, smirking to herself. Alistair continued to look at her until Morrigan returned with a bundle of wood in her hands. She threw them down and proceeded to use her magic to start a small fire. She reached into her pack and pulled out a small hare which her mother had packed for them earlier. Nienna lent forward, offering her dagger to Morrigan to help her skin the creature and she quickly got to work.

 

\- - - - - - - - -

 

As they sat in front of the now dying fire, they ate their first meal together. Alistair was already on his second helping when Morrigan offered another to Nienna. She shook her head, pointing out that she still had some food left on her plate.

Alistair finished up his meal and then stood up, drawing his sword as he left to do a sweep of the area. Nienna was still taking her time to finish her plate when Morrigan took a seat beside her on the log.

"You don't have to do that." She said. Nienna tilted her head, unsure about what she could mean. Morrigan pointed to the plate. "Savouring your meal. There will be many more meals like this to come, I can assure you." Nienna felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment and she set her plate down upon her lap.

"I'm sorry... Growing up in the alienage, we learned to savour every hot meal we could get. Some days we didn't even have any food at all. I guess some habits are hard to break." Nienna whispered, feeling slightly ashamed at her behaviour.

"'Tis nothing to be ashamed of. Mother and I noticed how thin you are whilst we tended to you. But I assure you that you will be well fed during our meals." Morrigan explained, as Alistair made his way back to them. "That is if your friend over here doesn't eat it all first."

"Heeey!" He whined, only hearing the end of the conversation. "You should be grateful that I even managed to eat your food." He took a seat on the ground beside the fire which was now no more than a few bright embers.

"I am surprised you did. I thought I had put enough poison in there to knock you out with one bite." Morrigan quipped. Alistair's grin suddenly dropped and he looked at Nienna as his skin went pale. Nienna let out a loud laugh, surprised at how joyful she suddenly felt.

"She is joking, Alistair..." She turned to Morrigan, her brows furrowed. "You were joking, weren't you?"

"We shall see." Morrigan shot Alistair a quick glance and then got up, moving over to her cooking pots. Nienna handed Morrigan her empty plate and she left to wash them in the nearby pool of water. Alistair stuck out his tongue as Morrigan had her back turned on them, causing Nienna to giggle once more.

She had felt nervous travelling with Morrigan at first, especially as Alistair already decided he disliked her and their bickering was only going to get worse but for now, she enjoyed their company and for the first time in a while, she felt content.

 

\- - - - - - - -

 

A new day dawned and Nienna shaded her eyes from the blinding light of the morning sun as she and her companions made their way towards Lothering. They had left the Wilds sometime in the night and managed to find the main road which lead directly into Lothering. The road was quiet, with no sign of darkspawn or any passers by for miles around. There were a few caravans that had been abandoned by the sides of the roads which caused Nienna to feel uncertain and she kept her hands close to her daggers as they walked. Morrigan led in front, whilst Alistair kept watch behind, though every time Nienna looked back to check on him, he kept his head down and she could tell he was feeling upset again.

Her shoulder was aching slightly but she had a potion attached to her belt around her waist, and she would take sips from it every time it began to become uncomfortable but the pain was fading and she knew the wound would slowly heal itself in time. Nienna made sure to salvage any elfroot herbs that they stumbled upon as they travelled; she had some knowledge of potion making from her mother as medicine was hard to come by in the alienage and her mother taught her how to make a small healing potion. But Morrigan suggested they purchase potions in Lothering as she pointed out that they would need something stronger for the battles ahead.

They continued down the road until Nienna was startled by a strange noise coming from around the bend before them. They stopped and awaited the source of the noise, their weapons drawn. But suddenly, a large tan brown mabari jumped out of the bushes and ran straight for Nienna, knocking her down in the process. The mabari held her down whilst it licked her face and barking in pure joy. Nienna squealed and laughed as the dog slobbered over her but Alistair began to pull the mabari off of her. Once the beast was pulled away, it sat down in front of Nienna as she wiped her face with her sleeve. She instantly recognised that the mabari was the one she had saved in Ostagar and she threw her arms around him, giving him a hug.

"It's the mabari I saved in the kennels at Ostagar!" She cried, looking at her confused companions. "How did he find us?"

"He must've survived the battle." Alistair examined the mabari, kneeling down beside it. "He's chosen you. Mabari are like that. They call it imprinting." The mabari barked happily and wagged its tail.

"Does this mean we're going to have this mangy beast follow us about now? Wonderful..." Morrigan said, keeping her distance. She turned her nose up and glared at the mabari who just barked in her direction. Alistair began to pet him as Nienna dropped her arms and examined his paws.

"He's not mangy." Alistair cooed, causing the mabari to wag his short stubby tail.

"Can we keep him?" Nienna asked, looking up at Morrigan with a big smile and glittering eyes. Morrigan groaned and rolled her eyes until she folded her arms and eventually gave in.

"Yes, alright. But you must feed him and clean up after him yourself." She replied, grimacing at the thought of feeding the huge beast. Nienna squealed in happiness and she gave the dog another hug, whilst Alistair stood up and laughed. "How odd. We now have a dog and Alistair is still the dumbest one in the party." Alistair shot Morrigan a glare and Nienna got up on her feet, turning to her companions.

"He'll need a name! What about... Hamlet?" She said, tapping her finger on her lips. The mabari barked happily and began to dart around in excitement. "Alright then, Hamlet! Lead on!" Hamlet bolted down the road and around the bend until he was out of sight and Nienna and her companions continued walking down the road.

They eventually came to a long stone bridge which lead directly into Lothering and as they began to cross it, they saw a group of armed men blocking their path a little further ahead. Hamlet, who was now walking beside Nienna, began to growl quietly as Nienna and her party approached them. Nienna knew these men did not look like soldiers, yet they were heavily armed and there was five of them that she could see. She kept her hands at her sides, ready to pull out her daggers if things turned sour. Alistair stood taller in hopes to appear intimidating but as they drew closer, the men did not flinch. Morrigan kept back but she held her wooden staff in her hands.

"Wake up, gentlemen. We have travellers to attend to..." One of the men waved his arm around to signal the other men to our attention. He stepped forward, eyeing Nienna up and down. "Led by an elf, of all things." He laughed, looking back to his entourage as they took their places behind him.

"They don't look much like the others, you know." One of them said, gesturing to Nienna's armour and her weapons. "This one looks armed. Maybe we should just let these ones pass..."

"Nonsense! Greetings travellers." The first man exclaimed, a grin on his lips. Alistair lent forward to whisper in Nienna's ear.

"Highwaymen. Preying on those feeling the darkspawn, I suppose." He broadened his shoulders and puffed out his chest as Nienna took a step closer to the bandits, her heart beginning to beat faster. She was preparing herself for a fight and she tried to muster up as much as courage as she could. Morrigan also stepped forward, standing on the other side of Nienna.

"They are fools to stand in our way. I say teach them a lesson." Morrigan said, her eyes glaring at the bandits.

"Now is that any way to greet someone?" The main leader asked, chuckling. "A few 10 silvers and you're free to move on."

Nienna knew that she and her party did not have much money between them. They had counted what they had on their journey here and found they only have 20 silver, most of which was from Morrigan's own purse. Nienna was not going to give in to these men; she had seen their like before in the alienage. She glanced at the caravan that was behind them and she saw multiple chests filled with items that were very obviously not theirs. She felt angry that these men were robbing refugees, who were already trying to escape from the darkspawn.

"You should listen to your friend. We are not refugees. We are Grey Wardens." She declared, hoping to scare the men but they glanced at one another in confusion.

"Grey Wardens? Them's the ones who killed the king?" The other man cried, stepping back from Nienna. The leader stood firm and he grinned even more at this news.

"Traitors to Ferelden, I hear. Teryn Loghain put quite a bounty on any who are found." He snarled, leering at Nienna. He towered over her, though Nienna did not move. She didn't believe what he had said, but she heard Alistair mutter under his breath. If what the bandit said was true, then Loghain was now lying about what had happened at Ostagar and was painting the Wardens as the enemy. "Let's take them down and give 'em to Loghain."

Nienna drew her weapons and lunged forward, pressing the tip of one of her daggers under the man's neck. The other bandits gasped and quickly grabbed their weapons until the leader lifted his hand to halt them. Nienna glared at him, the feeling of rage building up inside her just as it had done before in the Arl's estate in Denerim.

"You will let us pass and you will move on from here. The people fleeing the darkspawn have already lost their homes and you will not take any more from them." She growled, pressing her other dagger into his stomach; not enough to pierce his skin but just enough so he could feel the tip through his light armour. Alistair raised his brow at how fierce Nienna sounded, and Morrigan stood with a smirk across her dark lips. The leader raised up both his hands and began to move back from her.

"Yes, of course. We will leave you to your darkspawn fighting and your king killing ways." The bandit leader had now stepped away from Nienna but she kept her daggers up and her cold stare was fixed upon him. "On second thought... we won't." He turned and quickly grabbed a sword out of the hand of one of the other bandits and turned back, swinging it at Nienna. She used her daggers to block his attack and Alistair instantly drew his sword and his shield in retaliation. The other bandits were now armed and a fight ensued. Hamlet leaped into the air and took down one of them whilst Alistair rushed forward and used his shield to bash the leader to the ground. Nienna slid past and began to fight two of the men who had been at the back. Morrigan kept her distance and casted spells to freeze the bandits in their place. Soon the bandits had been defeated but Alistair kept the leader alive and he pulled him up to his feet and held him up.

"We will turn you in to the templars. They'll find a suitable punishment for you." Alistair said, smirking at the leader who tried to wriggle out of Alistair's grasp. Suddenly the man kicked Alistair in his shin, causing him to push himself free and he reached for his sword but Nienna quickly rushed behind him and stabbed her dagger into the leader's back. His body arched up as he cried out in agony and then gasped for air, breathing in his last breath as Nienna pulled out her weapon then tossed his body to the side. She sheathed her bloodied daggers, looking at her companions.

"Everyone alright?" She asked, whilst her companions examined the scene around them. Hamlet walked over and sat down, licking the blood of his paws. Alistair and Morrigan both nodded to Nienna. "Come on, we should tell someone that the bandits are gone."

They continued over the bridge and finally arrived at Lothering, stepping down the stone stairs of the bridge and onto the flat, dry grasslands before them. Lothering seemed a sorry sight to Nienna. The village was in disarray, with dishevelled caravans and tents surrounding them and the screams and cries of the tired refugees and their children caused a sombre atmosphere. She looked out over the village and saw a windmill situated in the middle surrounded by a few other large buildings, smoke rising from the chimneys of a few houses that were scattered around. One of them she recognised as the chantry; the building was similar to the one she used to see in Denerim when she looked over the top of the wall in the alienage. Other than that, the village seemed bare and desolate which caused Nienna to sigh. This was a glimpse of what the Blight would bring to Ferelden and she knew it was down to the Wardens, and Morrigan, to ensure this does not happen to all of Thedas. But the thought of how much was now resting on her shoulders was beginning to dishearten her.

"Well, there is it: Lothering. Pretty as a picture." Alistair sighed, standing beside Nienna and joining her in looking out over the landscape before them.

"Ah, so you have finally decided to rejoin us, have you? Falling on your blade in grief seemed like too much trouble I take it?" Morrigan quipped, standing on Nienna's other side beside Hamlet who sat with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Is my being upset so hard for you to understand?" Alistair retorted, raising his voice slightly. "Have you never lost someone important to you? How would you feel if your Mother died?"

"Before or after I stopped laughing?" Morrigan folded her arms across her chest, her dark lips curved into a smirk. He rolled his eyes and huffed in response.

"Right, very creepy. Forget I asked." He sighed. Nienna began to feel a tension grow and she turned to Alistair in the hopes of stopping it.

"Did you want to talk about something, Alistair?" She asked, a soft smile on her lips.

"His navel, I suspect. He's been contemplating it for long enough." Morrigan scoffed, causing Nienna to shoot her a glance to stop.

"Oh, I get it. This is the part where we're shocked to discover how you've never had a friend your entire life." Alistair responded. Nienna then shot him the same glance.

"I can be friendly when I desire to. Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so." Morrigan smirked yet again and then turned away from them, pretending to be more preoccupied in looking around her. Nienna sighed, knowing that this was only going to get worse between them as time went on.

"Anyway, I thought we should talk about where we intend to go, first." Alistair said, now turning his full attention to Nienna. She nodded and pulled out the Grey Warden treaties which she had folded up and placed in the sleeve of her long, tan leather gloves.

"We should try and use these treaties, I assume." She passed them Alistair, who began to unfold them.

"I agree. Have you looked at them?" Alistair asked, quickly flicking through the pages to check they were all accounted for.

"No, I haven't." She replied, shaking her head.

"We have treaties for three main groups: the Dalish elves, the dwarves of Orzammar and the Circle of Magi. I also still think Arl Eamon is our best bet for help. We might even want to go to him first."  
Nienna tapped her index finger on her lip as she thought. She did not know where would be the best place to start but she felt excited at the prospect of seeing more of Ferelden and learning more about the world around her. But there was so much to do and she felt a little overwhelmed with the responsibility of deciding where to first go so she looked over to Morrigan who was still listening to their conversation, despite pretending otherwise.

"What do you think we should do, Morrigan?" She asked.

"Go after your enemy directly. Find this man, Loghain, and kill him. The rest of this business can then be done in safety." Morrigan replied, waving her hand about as she did. Alistair already began shaking his head as soon as she began talking.

"Yes, because he certainly wouldn't see that coming! And it's not like he has the advantage of an army and the experience and-" He began, sarcastically.

"I was asked for my opinion and I gave it. If your wish is to come up with reasons why something cannot be done, we will stand here until the darkspawn are upon us." She snapped, interrupting him. Nienna held up her hands and stepped between them.

"Enough!" She cried, causing both of them to snap out of it and then both sheepishly fidget where they stood. Alistair rubbed the back of his head, then ran his fingers through his hair feeling slight flustered that he had upset Nienna. "We will get supplies first. Then we can bicker about this later. Come on, Hamlet."

She turned, with her companions in tow and they made their way down into the village.


	8. New meetings.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna Tabris wanders through the Village of Lothering and stumbles upon new friends and new enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really struggled to write this chapter but I wanted to push through and get it done so I could move on from Lothering and start writing more of my own scenes. I'm feeling worried that my writing is getting worse with each chapter. I started off so strongly in my first chapter but now I feel like I have lost my confidence but I will keep trying and hopefully I'll have more time to write soon.

As Nienna passed the refugee's crowded camp, she saw the desperation and fear in their eyes. They looked to her for food, water, anything she could spare. It pained her to walk past them; she knew better than most how terrible an empty stomach could feel but she was not able to help them and she knew they needed to press on. Alistair also felt remorse for not being able to help but Morrigan assured them it was for the best. They were helping them by stopping the Blight, and the sooner they would stop it, the sooner these people could find a new home, but Nienna still felt guilty as she and her companions quickly made their way past them.

On their way through the village, they informed one of the templars that the bandits on the road had been killed and he thanked them for their help, giving them a few silvers which was all he had to offer. Nienna graciously accepted, placing the coins into the money pouch which belonged to Morrigan. After speaking to the templar, they walked past the chantry stopping for a moment to look at the building. The large wooden doors were shut but they could hear many voices coming from within. A templar standing guard informed them that the chantry was taking in refugees but there was very little space for anyone else. He also told them the inn was full and that there was nowhere else in Lothering to find any shelter. Nienna nodded, and thanked the gentlemen as she turned to leave.

They crossed over a small bridge and proceeded to make their way towards the inn, hoping to find some supplies. It was fairly large establishment than Nienna had expected but still fairly small when she considered how many refugees needed shelter. Alistair and Morrigan entered first, but Nienna turned and stopped Hamlet from following them in. The mabari whined and tilted his head giving Nienna his best puppy eyed look but Nienna just shook her head and ordered Hamlet to stand away from the inn. Just before she turned to face the inn door, she catched the attention of a young dark skinned woman who was standing a few feet away. Her dark skin contrasted with her luminous white hair and her bright blue eyes. She was dressed in armour which Nienna recognised from the battle at Ostagar. She was surprised to see that someone from the King's army had survived and she started to approach her until the young woman was distracted by someone calling out to her. The young woman turned and smiled to three people who were approaching her and she embraced them all with open arms. Nienna understood from their soft expressions and warm greetings that they were family, although the young woman was very different from the others. There was a young man and a younger woman who were light skinned with black hair, looking so alike that Nienna guessed they must be twins. And there was an elder woman who Nienna assumed was the mother; she was also light skinned and her hair was short and grey. Nienna felt curious about this young lady and her family but she did not want to disturb them as they embraced so she turned back to the inn and stepped inside.

The inn was alight with conversations from the patrons within and music was being played by a small band of players upon the mezzanine which led to the rooms above. The place was crowded and every corner of the inn was filled by refugees or soldiers who were sat upon the chairs around the tables or sat upon empty barrels and boxes. Nienna pushed her way through the humans, until she bumped into the back Alistair's shield and she stood beside him, with Morrigan to her right. They were placed in the centre of the inn and a circle was formed around them giving them some space. Nienna was confused as to what was happening until she saw three soldiers coming straight towards them.

"Well, look what we have 'ere, men." The soldier in the middle said to the other soldiers now standing before Nienna. "I think we've just been blessed."

Alistair nudged Nienna's arm to get her attention and he gestured to their armour which he seemed to recognise.

"Uh-oh. Loghain's men. This can't be good." He said under his breath. Nienna's hands went straight to her daggers but she kept her fingers lingering over the handles, waiting to see if she would need to use them.

"Didn't we spend all morning asking about a group of Wardens by this very description? And everyone said they hadn't seen them?" The other soldier asked, turning to look at the nervous crowd around them.

"It seems we were lied to." The main soldier replied, glaring around himself in anger. Suddenly, a figure moved through the crowd and stepped forward between Nienna and the soldiers.

"Gentlemen, surely there is no need for trouble." A young woman, dressed in chantry robes, spoke softly in a strange accent. "These are no doubt simply more poor souls seeking refugee."

"They're more than that. Now stay out of the way, Sister. You protect these traitors and you'll get the same as them." The soldier threatened, stepping forward and towering over the woman. Nienna took a step forward, standing beside her and reaching out her hand to encourage the woman to stay back.

"We don't need your help, sister. Please stay back." Nienna begged, not wanting an innocent to get hurt. The lady simply smiled and shook her short auburn hair.

"You don't need my protection. But these men will blindly follow their master's command even unto death." She said, causing an uproar from the soldiers.

"I am not the blind one." The lead solider cried, his voice now raised. "I served at Ostagar, where the teryn saved us from the Wardens' treachery! I serve him gladly! Enough talk, take the Wardens into custody. Kill the sister and anyone else that gets in your way."

The soldiers drew their weapons and in a quick flash, the woman grabbed one of Nienna's daggers out of from her sheath and threw it directly towards one of the soldiers causing their body to slam to the ground. Nienna jumped back in surprise and Alistair quickly darted past her, his sword already in his hand. He fought with the lead soldier, their swords clashing against each other. Morrigan kept back as she was unable to use her magic in this small space but Nienna regained herself and she leapt forward, her other dagger now in her hand as she sliced it against the last soldier's armour. She ducked out the way as he tried to fight her back but she was finally able to dig her dagger into his skin and he cried out in pain, falling to his knees. She stood before him and placed her dagger across his neck, telling him not to move. Alistair delivered one last blow to the lead soldier and struck the sword out of his hand. The soldier quickly stepped back and threw his hands up.

"All right, you've won." He cried, breathlessly. "We surrender."

"Good, they've learned their lesson and we can all stop fighting now." The woman said, another smile across her rosy pink lips. Nienna pressed her dagger harder against the neck of the soldier and she gritted her teeth.

"Get out of here. And take a message to Loghain." She leaned forward, the fire in her eyes causing fear in the man knelt down before her. "Tell him he will pay for what he's done. Tell him the Grey Wardens are coming for him." The soldiers quickly gathered their swords and rushed out of the inn, causing a series of murmurs from the crowd of people who had witnessed the brawl. Nienna placed her dagger back in her sheath and turned to find the chantry sister with her other dagger in her hand. She held it out to Nienna who took it and placed it back on her belt.

"I apologise for interfering, but I just couldn't stand by and not help." She said, as Alistair and Morrigan drew closer. The people in the inn returned to their drinks and the atmospheric hum of conversation continued.

"Thank you, sister. We appreciate the help." Nienna exclaimed, smiling at the kind woman. "But where does a chantry sister learn to fight like that?"

"I wasn't born into the chantry, you know. Many of us had more... colourful lives before we joined." She explained, winking at Nienna. "Let me introduce myself. I am Leliana, one of the lay sisters of the chantry in Lothering. Or I was."

"My name is Nienna Tabris. This is Alistair and Morrigan." Nienna pointed to each of her companions. Alistair nodded and gave a little wave at Leliana whilst Morrigan glared at her, seeming unimpressed by Nienna's friendliness.

"Those men said you're a Grey Warden. You will be battling the darkspawn, yes? That is what Grey Wardens do?" She asked, almost a little too enthusiastically. Nienna nodded her head. "I know after what happened at Ostagar, you will need all the help you can get. That's why I'm coming along."

Nienna raised her brows in surprise, and she turned to see the expressions on the others faces. Alistair also seemed surprised yet Morrigan's glare became more intense. Nienna turned back to Leliana.

"Why are you so eager to join us?" Nienna asked, unsure as to why this stranger was so prepared to leave her chantry life behind to fight darkspawn.

"The Maker told me to." Leliana replied. Morrigan let out a loud cackle at her reply and Alistair snorted, trying not to join in on Morrigan's laughter. "I... know that sounds absolutely insane- but it's true! I had a dream... a vision."

"More crazy? I thought we were all full up." Alistair muttered to Nienna.

"Look at the people here." Leliana gestured to the people around them. "They are lost in their despair, and this darkness will spread. The Maker does not want this. What you do, what you are meant to do, is the Maker's work. Please let me help you!"

Nienna thought for a moment. She knew Morrigan and Alistair would protest about having Leliana join them, especially as what she had just said seemed completely crazy. But everything that Nienna had experienced so far was also just as crazy so she shrugged and smiled to herself as she began to answer.

"Very well. I will not turn away help when it's offered."

"Perhaps your skull was cracked worse than Mother thought." Morrigan groaned, already turning to leave the inn. Leliana clapped her hands together and cheered.

"Thank you! I appreciate being given this chance. I will not let you down!"

Alistair sighed but he did not complain, at least not aloud. Leliana left the inn to go gather her things leaving Nienna and Alistair to purchase supplies from the innkeeper. They were able to purchase a few more potions, some dog treats to give to Hamlet and a small satchel bag to store them in. They had a few silvers left in the pouch and as they left, Nienna put the money pouch in the satchel, along with their wares and wore the satchel across her body.

Nienna gathered her companions and they waited for Leliana to arrived. It did not take long for her to turn up and she was dressed in very different clothes from her chantry robes. She was in light armour and a bow was in one of her hands along with a small bag in the other. She had a quiver strapped across her back and a dagger tied to the belt across her hips. With a nod and a smile, Leliana was ready to travel with them and they all set off to the outskirts of Lothering.

They had not walked far until they came across a large cage with a strange creature inside. The creature was like a huge, burly man but its skin was dark and his features were broad and much bigger than that of any man Nienna had ever seen. It was chanting something in a strange language over and over again; his voice sounded strong and commanding. She felt wary of the creature but seeing him trapped inside of a small cage made her feel sympathetic towards him and she slowly approached the cage, her companions calling out to stop her but she kept going until she reached the metal cage and the creature turned to look at her. His brows furrowed and his dark eyes pierced down into Nienna's own soft blue eyes and she was suddenly aware of how small she was compared to his stature.

"You aren't one of my captors." The creature said very bluntly. "I will not amuse you any more than I have the others. Leave me in peace." He began to turn away from Nienna but she held up her hand to show him she meant no harm.

"Wait! What... What are you?" She asked, examining him once more.  
"A prisoner." The creature replied. "I am in a cage, am I not? I've been placed here by the chantry."

"The revered mother said he slaughtered an entire family. Even the children." Leliana said in a low voice, coming closer along with the others. Hamlet growled at the cage and Nienna took a step back at hearing what Leliana had said. But the creature furrowed his strong black brows as he looked down.

"It is as she says." The creature exclaimed. Nienna felt every instinct in her telling her to turn away and leave him to his fate but there was something about him which made her want to help him. "I am Sten of the Beresaad, the vanguard, of the Qunari peoples."

Nienna tilted her head. She had never heard of the Qunari before. She was unsure of how to react to Sten but she bowed her head slightly and smiled at him.

"I am Nienna Tabris. It's nice to meet you, Sten." She said, the other companions behind seeming surprised at her openness. Sten narrowed his eyes and glared at Nienna.

"You mock me." He said, before examining her more closely. "Or you show manners I have not come to expect in your lands. Though it matters little now. I will die soon enough."

"This is a proud and powerful creature, trapped as prey for the darkspawn. I suggest releasing him for mercy's sake alone." Morrigan suddenly said, admiring the creature trapped behind the bars. Alistair scoffed at her suggestion.

"Mercy? I wouldn't have expected that from you." Alistair sniped, causing Morrigan to roll her eyes.

"I would also suggest that Alistair takes his place in the cage." This prompted some laughter from Leliana but Nienna simply sighed, feeling a little worried that Alistair and Morrigan would never get along but she focused back on the Qunari.

"Would you like to come with us? To help us fight the Blight?" Nienna asked. The Qunari seemed taken aback by her question and he thought for a moment then examined Nienna's armour closely. He also looked at Alistair who was stood beside Nienna.

"The Blight? Are you Grey Wardens then?" He asked in response. Nienna nodded and the Qunari shook his head. "Surprising. My people have heard legends of the Grey Wardens strength and skill... though I suppose not every legend is true."

Both Nienna and Alistair raised their brows at his comment. Alistair sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as Nienna straightened her body in defiance.

"Well... I am new to the Wardens but we could do with all the help we could get. Will you join us, Sten?" She asked once more. Sten thought for a moment and then nodded his head.

"Yes." He replied. "If you can release me from this cage."

Nienna moved forward, and examined the lock on the door to the cage. It was a fairly simple lock and she pulled out her dagger. Using the thin tip she managed to break the lock and the cage door swung open, allowing Sten to step out and he stretched his long arms.

The party now began to make their way out of Lothering and they quickly reached another long stone bridge which led to the main road of Ferelden. Nienna was at the front of the party, with Alistair and Hamlet beside her. Sten and Leliana kept to the centre and Morrigan stayed as far back as she could, though staying within earshot to warn the others for any danger. They walked a few steps on to the bridge when they suddenly heard a cry.

"Darkspawn ahead. Can you sense them?" Alistair said. Nienna felt that familiar feeling in her chest as the smell of the air shifted. She quickly drew her daggers and bolted forward, following the sound of the cries. They came across a caravan and two dwarves who were cowering in fear as a group of darkspawn came running towards them. Nienna quickened her pace and she managed to intercept the darkspawn before they reached the dwarves. A genlock lifted its blade and swung down at Nienna but due to her size, she managed to dart past and sliced into its arm causing the genlock to drop its sword and screech out. She finished the genlock off by stabbing the other dagger into its forehead and pulling it out, the blood pouring out of its wound as it fell backwards.

A hurlock suddenly wrapped its arms around Nienna and lifted her up off her feet. She let out a cry and tried to kick herself free but the hurlock tightened its grasp and she felt her chest being crushed by the large creature. Then she heard Alistair's war cry and he slashed his sword at the hurlock's back, causing its arms to fly open and it dropped Nienna to the ground. He continued to fight the hurlock as the others quickly followed and attacked the remaining darkspawn. Hamlet charged at the darkspawn and tried to bite at their legs in the hopes of distracting them whilst Leliana remained behind and shot her arrows as rapidly as she could but Morrigan helped by shooting a blast of lightning from her hands and she sent a shock through the darkspawn and their bodies slammed to the stone floor of the bridge.

Nienna gasped for breath as she tried to stand up, holding the injured side of her chest with her hand. She felt Alistair's strong hand find her free hand and he helped pull her up to her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She nodded before noticing his hand was still clasped with hers. She felt his strong grasp through the leather of her gloves and he swiftly pulled his hand away, his cheeks flushing a deep crimson. He turned to Sten who had been stood with his arms folded the whole time.

"Thanks for the help." Alistair quipped, shooting him a playful glare. Sten was unmoved and he coldly stared back at Alistair.

"I have no weapon." The qunari retorted. Alistair bent down and picked up one of the darkspawn's long swords and handed it to Sten. He said nothing but held it in both hands and swung it around to test its strength. He huffed yet he seemed content to use it.

Nienna slowly approached the dwarves who were now checking the broken crates beside their caravan. One of the dwarves turned to look at her and he nudged the other to get his attention. They both stood before Nienna, looking up at her with smiles on their round faces.

"Mighty timely arrival there, my friend. I'm much obliged." The elder dwarf said, bowing at Nienna.

"You're very welcome." She smiled, bowing back at them.

"The name's Bodahn Feddic, merchant and entrepreneur. This here is my son, Sandal." He gestured to the younger dwarf beside him, who was looking up at Nienna yet he seemed to be distracted by something. "The road has been mighty dangerous these days. May I ask what brings you out here? Perhaps we're going the same way."

"My name is Nienna Tabris. I'm a Grey Warden and it's... a long story but my companions and I are going to stop to the Blight. It is a dangerous journey but we could use any help we can get. Your caravan would benefit us greatly and we could offer you protection in return." Nienna explained. Bodahn took a look at her and the others before nodding his head.

"Well, is there anywhere safer for a poor merchant and his son to stay than in the company of Grey Wardens? I think not." He chuckled and patted his son on his back. "Say thank you to the nice lady, my boy."

"Thank you, nice lady." Sandal answered, a large grin across his face. Nienna couldn't help but smile back and she began to help the dwarves pack their supplies into the back of their caravan. The crates were damaged but the goods remained intact. Morrigan came over and threw her satchel into the back so she did not have to carry the heavy cooking pots and wooden plates with her any longer. With the caravan packed and attached to Bodahn's pony, they set off onto the main road.


	9. What Dreams May Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party begins their journey to the Circle Tower. Nienna experiences her first nightmare and shares a tender moment with fellow Grey Warden, Alistair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late gap between posting the next chapter but I have been very busy with work and personal life but I've finally managed to finish this chapter! I'm trying to take my time writing because I want to make sure I put all my effort into my writing and feel happy with what I post so I hope you all don't mind if it takes me a while to post the next few chapters. But I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!

The bright golden sun shining in the clear morning sky warmed Nienna's heart as she walked through the familiar streets of Denerim's alienage; the sights and smells caused her to smile as she made her way to her father's home. Nienna opened the creaky wooden door and stepped inside. Her father welcomed his daughter with a loud cheer as Shianni embraced her, hugging her as tightly as she could. Nienna became overwhelmed with happiness at the sight of her family before her but something did not feel right. Shianni looked at Nienna, her eyes bright and glistening with a grin across her lips. But then, a sword pierced straight through Shianni's chest and her blood splattered on Nienna's pale cheek. She watched in horror as her dear cousin's lifeless body slumped to the floor and her father stepped towards her, tossing the blood stained sword out of his hands and onto the ground beside Shianni's body.

Her father's face began to change as his eyes grew dark and he bared his teeth, bile as black as a starless night sky oozing out of his mouth. His features twisted into the face of a darkspawn and the creature cackled and shrieked in joy as it grabbed Nienna and dug its claws deep into her shoulders. She screamed, pushing him away but its grip tightened. She finally managed to force the creature off her but its claws remained buried in her skin, and her blood began to boil in her veins. Her body contorted and she fell to her knees as the darkspawn blood began to take hold of her. She retched and coughed up the thick, black blood which burned her throat as she continued to vomit. She had never felt pain like this and she shut her eyes tightly, hoping to wake herself up. But she couldn't reopen her eyes no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't see anything and then she heard a deafening sound like nails being dragged over stone. Her chest tightened and it became harder to breathe but then she felt it calling her, a hunger that she had never felt before. A hunger for blood, for flesh... for death. Then her eyes flew open and she saw it. The archdemon. It opened its mouth and roared loudly. It breathed out a scorching fire and the heat burned Nienna's skin and she screamed out in pure agony. She tried to force herself up but it was as if her arms were being pinned down and she thrashed her body as hard as she could but she could not move. Then the archdemon was before her but this time it did not roar or shriek. It spoke to her.

NIENNA.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

She awoke and her body bolted upright, her chest heaving up and down as she gasped for air. She felt hands wrapped around her wrists and in her frightened state, she tried to break free by pulling her arms back but the hands held her arms tight and she shook her head wildly, tears falling from her eyes. But a calming voice finally broke through her panicked thoughts and she stopped shaking and looked up at the man knelt beside her. It was Alistair, holding onto her arms in order to keep her still. She looked around herself and saw she had been sleeping all along. Her bed sheet had been thrown off in her fit, and she was sat in her white tunic which acted as her nightdress. Her hands trembled but Alistair slowly loosened his grip on her wrists and moved his hands up to meet hers and he held them as he leant forward, his brows furrowed in worry.

"Bad dreams, huh?" He said, trying to provoke a smile from Nienna. She nodded but couldn't find the strength to smile just yet. Tears still fell down her flushed cheeks, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"It felt so real..." Her coarse voice replied. The pain she had felt in the dream was still very fresh in her mind.

"Well it is real, sort of." He began to explain. He kept his voice low and soft as he spoke, helping to make Nienna feel more calm. "You see, part of being a Grey Warden is being able to hear the darkspawn. The archdemon talks to the horde, and we feel it just as they do. That's why we know this is really a Blight."

Nienna felt a pang in her chest. There was so much about becoming a Grey Warden that was kept from her. The secrets, the consequences. If she had known exactly what was to come, she would've never had agreed to the Joining. She let out a long sigh and she felt Alistair gently rub his thumb over her knuckles.

"I had just got back from a patrol with Sten when I heard you thrashing around. You looked like you were distressed so I tried to wake you, but you flailed your arms about so much I had to hold you down. In case you hurt yourself." Alistair whispered. Nienna felt warmth in her heart as she looked into Alistair's hazel eyes and her soft lips formed into a small smile.

"Thank you, Alistair." She said, her voice still weak. They looked at each other for a while, their hands still joined together, until Alistair happened to gaze down and he saw Nienna's exposed legs from under her tunic. His cheeks burned bright red but the cool light from the moon above them managed to hide his blush and he let go of her hands before quickly standing up and clearing his throat.

"Oh, right. I was meant to take the next watch." She grabbed her breeches which she had placed beside her eariler and put them on, whilst Alistair turned away and picked up his thick leather gloves which he had taken off moments before and slipped them on his hands.

"Um, well... actually Sten said he didn't feel tired so he's still on watch with Hamlet. Leliana is still asleep. And I'm not going to be the one who wakes up Morrigan so you could go back to sleep, if you want." He exclaimed, turning back to see Nienna now dressed and stood before him.

"Oh no, I don't think I'll be going back to sleep tonight. Maybe you could sit with me for a little while?" Nienna asked, moving over to a log on the other side of the camp fire which had now died out. Alistair nodded, bending down to start the fire back up and then he took a seat beside Nienna. They sat in silence for a moment until Nienna began to fiddle with the necklace around her neck. She held the small pendant, which contained some of the darkspawn blood from her Joining, in her hands and looked down at it, twisting it with her fingers.

"Do you want to talk about Duncan?" She asked, turning to Alistair. He lifted his brow in surprise at her sudden question

"You don't have to do that. I know you didn't know him as long as I did." He said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Nienna turned her body to face Alistair and leant closer to him.

"I know but... I just thought you might need to talk." She gave him another soft smile.

"I should have handled it better. Duncan warned me right from the very beginning this would happen. Any of us could die in battle. I shouldn't have lost it, not when so much is riding on us, not with the Blight and... everything. I'm sorry." He sighed, looking down. "It probably sounds stupid. but part of me wishes I was with him. During the battle. I feel like I abandoned him."

"You didn't abandon him. He saved your life by sending you to the tower." Nienna responded, her brows furrowed. She felt so sorry for Alistair and everything he had been through. He was always able to make others laugh or smile but she knew he had been hurting so deeply this whole time.

"Yes, I know." Alistair said, a strange tone in his voice like he wanted to explain what he meant but he quickly changed the subject. "Have you... had someone close to you die? Not that I mean to pry, I'm just..."

"My mother died when I was younger." Nienna clasped her hands together and squeezed them tightly. She hadn't told any of the party about her past life but she decided to open up to Alistair. She had wanted to keep her family life as secret as she could but she trusted Alistair and he had already shared so much of his life with her, she felt it would be safe to confide in him. "She was murdered by humans who broke into the alienage. My father found her body the next morning. I was only a child."

"I'm sorry." Alistair said, after a moment of silence.

"After that day, I felt such a hatred towards humans. That's why I kept on learning how to fight. So that I could make sure humans would never hurt anyone else in the alienage. And that's why I-" She stopped mid sentence, realising that she was about to confess how she killed the Arl of Denerim's son to save Shianni. She didn't want anyone to know what she had done, even if she truly believed that it was the right thing to do. There were some secrets and some hurts which were better left unsaid. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts before looking back at Alistair. "But you and Duncan were the first humans to show me true kindness. He was a very brave man."

"He was. He was one of the best men I ever knew." Alistair said, smiling at the thought of Duncan. He looked at Nienna, her pale skin glowing in the warm light of the campfire and her light blue eyes twinkling as she looked directly into his eyes. He went to lean forward to be closer to her but they were interrupted by Sten's footsteps and the light steps of Hamlet as they returned from their watch.

"Hello, Sten. Any news?" Nienna asked. He grunted in response and proceeded to walk over to his bed roll and slumped down, ready to fall asleep. Nienna and Alistair both chuckled quietly and then Alistair stood up, stretching out his arms and yawning.

"Well, I think it's time for me to go to sleep. You can wake up Morrigan. Just make sure she doesn't turn you into anything un-natural." He said, giving Nienna a quick smirk before heading off to his own bed roll. Nienna smiled warmly, her heart fluttering as she watched Alistair walk away. She eventually stood up and walked over to Morrigan who seemed to be deeply asleep but Nienna bent down and gently shook her shoulder in order to rouse her awake. Morrigan woke and soon the two were fully dressed and they grabbed their weapons as they took the next watch.

 

\- - - - - - - -

 

Setting off for the Circle Tower at dawn, Nienna and her companions quickly established a formation to follow whilst travelling on the main road. Bodahn and Sandal happily drove the caravan being pulled by a white pony and occasionally they would allow Hamlet to sit up with them when the mabari became too tired from walking. Morrigan and Sten walked on either side of the caravan to protect it in the case of bandits or darkspawn attacks. Nienna led the party with Alistair and Leliana beside her, though she had no idea where she needed to go or where the road would lead but Leliana was knowledgeable about Ferelden and she helped Nienna whenever she needed it.

The journey was mainly uneventful with only a few darkspawn attacks, so it allowed time for conversations and discussions. Nienna spoke mostly with Leliana, asking about her life and how she came to join the Chantry. She tried to talk to Sten but he would answer bluntly or not at all, so she decided to leave him alone for the moment and wait until he felt more comfortable to reply. Morrigan kept to herself, though she would make the occasional snide comment towards Alistair. But this was their party and Nienna smiled as she looked around herself at the company she was now in. They were all different yet united for a single cause: to save Ferelden, to save their home.

She thought about how she had lived a very sheltered life in the alienage. She lived in fear of the humans, of mages and of the outside world. But now she knows there was nothing to fear. The world was beautiful and full of remarkable people of all different kinds. There was good in the world, and she knew it was worth fighting for.

They reached the Lake Calenhad docks which led to the only path into the Circle Tower and Nienna took a long look at the gloomy tower before her. Even the bright, warm light of the early morning sun could not make this sight any better. As they grew closer to the edge of the docks, Nienna became aware of how quiet it was. There was only an inn and what appeared to be a guard beside the ferry which took people over to the Circle Tower. She stopped and turned to her companions.

"Right. We're here." She reached into her satchel and pulled out the treaties. She flicked through the pages until she found the one belonging to the Circle and she folded it up and placed it into her pocket for easier access.

"What's the plan?" Alistair asked, taking a step forward.

"We go over and ask them to honour the treaty and give us aid to fight the Blight... right?" Nienna said, biting her lip as she began to feel very unsure in herself. She actually had no idea what she needed to do. She hadn't thought this far in their plan yet, but she knew the time was here and she had to step up. She took a breath and then raised her head high. "I don't think we all need to go over but I would rather not be alone. Some of us will need to stay with Bodahn and the caravan, maybe go into the inn to get more supplies."

"I will come with you." Alistair quickly blurted out. "I-I mean, seeing as we are the only Grey Wardens, I think that would help our cause in asking for their help."

"That's a good point, Alistair. To be honest, I'd be happier with you by my side." She said, giving a soft smile. Alistair smiled back, his cheeks flushing a slight crimson colour. Nienna turned to the others. "Anyone else?"

Sten grunted but began to come closer to Nienna; he folded his arms and nodded. Nienna took this to mean that he wanted to come along. Hamlet barked and wagged his tail eagerly at Nienna but she shook her head.

"I don't think so, Hammy. I'm sorry but Bodahn will take care of you." She said, causing Hamlet to whine loudly but she gave him a scratch on his ear and he licked her hand, understanding her order. Leliana offered to stay to keep watch on the caravan and Hamlet, and Morrigan rolled her eyes; she had no intention of stepping foot in the tower but she did not want to spend the day with Leliana but she sighed and decided that she would rather deal with Leliana than a tower filled with templars.

Nienna gave her money pouch to Leliana and some of the dog treats from within her pouch to Hamlet. Alistair and Sten grabbed their weapons and their armour and soon they were ready to leave. They approached the guard who turned out to be a templar stationed there by Knight-Commander Greagoir who was in charge of the tower. He informed Nienna that something was going on in the tower and no one was allowed out or in. Nienna felt her heart begin to beat faster; she had hoped this would go smoothly but she knew she had to expect the unexpected after everything that she had been through. After a long time passed trying to persuade the templar to let them cross, at the expense of Sten's secret stash of cookies which he had taken from a child in Lothering, they got into the boat and were taken over to the Circle Tower.


	10. Saving the Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna Tabris and her companions reunite with Wynne in order to save the Circle from a mad blood mage. And Nienna has her first experience with the Fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait for this chapter! I struggled with it for so long and I'm not really sure why. But I wanted to get this quest done in one chapter because I don't want this series to be too long. I also tried to change it from the canon story because I'm sure most of you reading this know the quest inside and out so I wanted to make it different for Nienna's own story but also to be more interesting for you! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I will try not to make the next one be too long!

Nienna's back hit the hard stone wall with a loud smack and her knees buckled from under her as she slumped down to the floor. The Revenant demon who stood before her came closer and it held the tip of its sword directly on Nienna's forehead. A small trickle of blood began to pour down her face from the cut and she looked up at the creature. She closed her hands into fists and had every intention of standing up, trying to fight it back but she could not find the strength to get up on her feet, so she sat and awaited the killing blow. She closed her eyes and she heard the swoosh of the Revenant's sword as it lifted its arm up, ready to strike her down but another noise surprised Nienna and her eyes flew open as she heard a mighty cry come from Sten. He stood in between the demon and Nienna, and he stabbed his long-sword into the demon. The Revenant screeched out as it suddenly disappeared and it was finally defeated.

Sten turned and looked down at Nienna who was still sat on the floor, completely in shock by what had just happened. His face was just as stern as ever yet as he looked upon the frightened Warden, his features softened and he held out his hand to help her stand up. She grabbed it and he pulled her up in one swift motion. She steadied herself and then breathed out a long sigh.

"Thank you, Sten." Nienna said, clutching at her injured shoulder. He simply nodded in response and Nienna knew that was as close as he would get to saying 'you're welcome'. He bent down to pick up her daggers, which looked much smaller in his large hands. He gave them back to Nienna and then turned as he heard Alistair making his way to them.

"Nienna! You're bleeding!" He cried, quickly wiping away the blood on her forehead with his gloved hand but he only ended up smudging it across her face.

"Let me take a look at that." A voice called out. Nienna looked over at their new companion, Wynne, one of the circle mages who she had met briefly in Ostagar. She had been helping them get through the demon infested circle tower in the hopes of finding the Grand Enchanter Irving in order to gain their aid against the Blight. Wynne pulled out a cloth from the pouch across her waist and she wiped away at the blood whilst using her staff in her other hand to heal the cut upon Nienna's forehead and to ease the pain in her shoulder.

"How much further do we have to go?" Nienna asked, rubbing her now healed shoulder gently as she looked towards the doorway they were heading towards.

"We are close. I can only hope that we get there in time." Wynne replied.

"Then let's hurry." Alistair said. He grasped his sword and shield in his hands tightly and they proceeded to the door before them. Nienna opened it and they walked into the circular room, filled with corpses. Nienna frowned at the sight as she carefully stepped over their bodies. At the end of the room, a demon much larger than the ones they had already fought blocked the way. It stood before them, but showed no signs that it would attack them. Nienna's hands went to her daggers but she found that she suddenly felt odd. She looked around her and her companions also seemed to slow down as they approached the demon. Her mind went blank and her eyelids felt heavy yet she forced herself to keep them open and she held her head high which took more strength than she thought. "Out of our way, demon." Nienna said, trying to sound more fierce but her voice was weak and the demon simply tilted its head whilst its black eyes looked directly at her.

"You have fought many, and you must be tired." It spoke in a slow and monotone voice. "Wouldn't you like to just lay down and forget about all this? Leave it all behind?"

Yes, she did. She wanted nothing more than to just lie down and rest. She had never felt so exhausted. But she shook her head and dug her nails into her hand to keep herself awake. She looked behind her at her companions who were also struggling to stay awake.

"Can't... keep my eyes open..." Alistair sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Someone... pinch me...."

"We must stand... and fight." Sten groaned. Nienna had never seen him look fatigued before, but his eyes could barely stay open and his tall body swayed forwards and backwards.

"Resist. We must resist, else we are all lost..." Wynne cried, leaning on her staff. Nienna turned back to the demon who now had its hands up and a strange aura was radiating around it.

"We need to... stay awake." Nienna said. She pulled out her daggers and tried to hold up her arms towards the demon but she could not hold back anymore. Her body felt like stone and her eyes slowly began to shut.

"Why do you fight? You deserve a rest. The world will go on without you." The demon said, even slower. Nienna was under its spell and she heard her companions' bodies falling to the ground behind her. Her knees slammed down on the stone floor and her body followed. Her eyes closed as her head rested on the cold stone and she finally fell asleep.

 

\- - - - - - - -

 

Nienna awoke in a warm, soft bed with silky white sheets and two large pillows behind her head. Her body felt refreshed and she felt well rested. A smile was upon her lips but she felt something was not right. She drew the sheet back and looked at her shoulder. The scar that was once upon her pale skin had gone and so had any other bruise that was previously on her body. She turned her attention to the bedroom she was in. The walls were covered in the finest maroon wallpaper she had ever seen, and the dark wooden floors were perfectly polished. There was expensive furniture around her too; a large wardrobe, a bedside table with fresh flowers set atop it and a dressing table with a shining mirror. Nienna jumped out of bed and noticed she was only in her undergarments. Her armour was nowhere to be found. She rushed to the wardrobe and opened it but she was met with beautiful gowns of all colours and materials. She ran her hand over them all, feeling the soft silks and her hand instinctively grabbed a light blue dress. She put it on and examined herself in the mirror on the dressing table. The dress fit perfectly and she smiled at her reflection. Her long golden hair was freshly cleaned and her curls framed her face. Her fingers brushed against her cheeks and she felt the softness of her skin. All signs of her past injuries and her battle scars were gone, as if she had never seen battle at all. Suddenly, she heard a voice call her name and she froze in her place. She recognised the voice instantly and her heart beat hard in her chest.

The voice called out again and Nienna's eyes welled up with tears. She turned on her heel and rushed out the door. Though Nienna had never been in this house before, she found that she knew exactly where to go. She ran down the hallway and straight down the stairs. Then she heard the voice call out again.

"Nienna, my dear. You're finally awake." Adaia said, standing up from the table in the middle of the room. Nienna's heart swelled with emotion, and the tears fell from her cheeks as she looked upon her mother. She was alive. She was right here in front of Nienna, just as beautiful as she remembered her. And yet, this felt right. As if her mother had never been dead. Had it been a dream? A long and terrible nightmare?

"Nienna, what is the matter?" Her father asked, also standing up. Nienna rushed to her mother and threw her arms around her.

"You are really here." She whispered, holding onto Adaid as if she would disappear any second. But her mother wrapped her arms around Nienna and held her close.

"Yes, I am here. All your family is here." Her mother said. Nienna felt lighter than air and she smiled wide. "Shianni will be here soon, and Soris."

"Come and eat with us, my dear." Her father cheered, as he took a deep breath to smell the scent of cooked food coming from the kitchen behind them.

"Yes, I would love to... No, I can't. I have to get back. We have to stop the Blight." Nienna said, slowly stepping back from the table. The feeling of contentment was beginning to fade and Nienna started to try to think carefully about her situation. How did she get here? Why did everything feel so right but also so wrong?

"Don't you remember? The Blight is over now. You've come back home." Adaia explained. She smiled at her daughter, yet Nienna began to feel a sense of doubt.

"What do you mean? It can't be over!" Nienna frowned, trying to make sense of what her mother just said.

"You saved us all. There's complete peace across all of Thedas now. We're safe and free to live our own lives." Her mother began to walk towards her, with her arms open.

"No... That's not right." Nienna began to step back. She thought carefully about how she got her, where she was. "This isn't right."

"This is your home, Nienna. This is everything you ever wanted." Adaia's tone began to become to change and she continued to walk towards Nienna, who still kept her distance.

"No... I remember now... There was a tower... A demon... This isn't real." Nienna closed her hands into fists and took a defensive stance. She remembered the demon who cast this spell. How it made her fall asleep and this must be the work of it. "Let me go, demon."

Adaia's blue eyes suddenly grew black and claws began to grow from her hands. Nienna had no weapon but she stood her ground as the creature who took the form of her mother came towards her. Nienna quickly glanced behind her and saw that she was close to the end of the room and she knew she had nowhere to run, but she stood tall, ready to face the demon before her.

"Foolish creature. We have given you everything you wanted. Is this not enough?" Her mother's voice warped with the voice of the demon and black bile spilled out from her mouth.

"Let me go." Nienna repeated, her knuckles bearing white as she clenched her fists tighter. The demon lunged forward and Nienna tried to dodge out the way but the demon was fast and its hand grabbed Nienna's neck and pushed her against the wall. Suddenly everything around her began to fade away and a white light shone brightly. She shielded her eyes from the light and once she opened them again, she found herself in a vast open space. Everything was colourless and had a strange glow. She was dressed in her armour once more and her daggers were in their sheaths. She placed her hands on them and gripped the handles tightly. As she looked around, she caught sight of the Sloth demon who was slowly approaching her.

"What do we have here? A rebellious minion? An escaped slave?" The Sloth demon laughed as it drew closer to Nienna. "My, my, but you do have some gall."

A strange sound caused Nienna to turn her attention to behind her and all of sudden, her companions appeared from thin air. They each had a confused expression on their face until they looked forward and saw Nienna.

"Oh, here I am. And there you are!" Alistair said. Wynne lifted her staff up and aimed it towards the demon.

"You will not hold us, demon! You cannot stand against us." She cried, as Sten and Alistair also drew their weapons and took their battle stances. Nienna pulled out her daggers and turned back to the demon, feeling stronger now her companions were back by her side. The Sloth demon simply shook its head slowly.

"If you go back quietly, I'll do better this time. I'll make you much happier." Its black pupils looked directly at Nienna. She felt a pang in her chest as she thought about the dream she had. What the demon had shown her was everything she wanted. Her mother alive and her family together again and the world at peace. Would it be so bad if she stayed under the demon's spell? After all, the demon offered her what the world could never give her.

She lowered her daggers, tears stinging in her eyes. But then, Alistair stepped forward and stood beside her, a soft smile upon his lips as he looked at her. And then Wynne and Sten also moved closer and stood on her other side. Her heart soared as she looked upon her companions. Her friends.

"I'll make my own happiness, thank you." She said, rushing forward. She let out a cry and jumped up at the demon, digging her daggers into its chest. Alistair and Sten followed, lunging their swords into the demon's flesh. Wynne kept her distance and fired balls of flame towards the demon until it screeched out in pain and finally fell. Its corpse exploded in a cloud and the mist swirled around them until they suddenly found themselves back in the tower with the demon now gone. They all let out a sigh of relief and Wynne quickly checked them over to make sure no one had been hurt. Then they continued through the room, heading out of the door.

 

\- - - - - - - - -

 

They had almost made it to the top of the tower until the last room contained something that they were not expecting. A templar had been imprisoned behind a magical barrier just before the exit of the large room. As Nienna approached the man, who was kneeling down and chanting a prayer under his breath, he looked up and quickly winced at the sight of Nienna and her companions. They moved closer towards the edge of the barrier. It didn't seem like any magic Nienna had seen before. Nienna took a closer look at the templar who was still cowering inside. He was a young man with handsome features and short blonde curls upon his head. His pale face seemed grey and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"This trick again? I know what you are. It won't work. I will stay strong!" He cried, his voice sounding strained.

"The boy is exhausted. And this cage... I've never seen anything like it." Wynne said, running her hand over the barrier. "Rest easy. Help is here."

"Enough visions! If anything in you is human, kill me now and stop this game!" He continued to look down and his body rocked back and forth.

"He's been tortured. And he has probably been denied food and water. I can tell." Nienna sighed, thinking back to the alienage and how the humans used to torture certain elves who had tried to stand up against them. They used to string up cages in the middle of the alienage and leave them in there for days, not allowing them food or water. Nienna saw one of them once and she never forgot how grey and pale their skin became. She saw it now in the skin of this human.

"Filthy blood mages... getting in my head. I will not break! I would rather die!" He yelled, his hands visibly shaking as he became more frightened. Nienna crouched down to be level with him and she lifted up her hand to show that she meant no harm.

"We won't hurt you. We're really here. Please, let us help you." She said, as softly as she could. But the man bolted upright and stood up, tears falling from his eyes.

"Silence!" He roared. "I'll not listen to anything you say! Now begone!" Nienna also stood up and frowned at the man who would not listen to her. But the longer the man looked at her, he began to calm down and his eyes fell onto each companion. "Still here? But that's always worked before. I close my eyes, but you are still here when I open them."

"That's because I'm real. And I'm here to help you." Nienna said softly, once more. He took a few breaths to calm himself and then he wiped his wet eyes with the back of his gloved hand.

"Forgive me for being cautious. How did you get here?" He asked, composing himself.

"I'm a Grey Warden, and I'm trying to help save the tower." She replied.

"Good... Kill Uldred. Kill them all for what they've done. They caged us like animals... looked for ways to break us." His voice cracked as he continued. "I'm the only one left. They turned some into monsters... And there was nothing I could do."

"Irving and the other mages who fought against Uldred. Where are they?" Wynne interrupted.

"They are in the Harrowing chamber. Oh, the sounds coming out from there... Oh, Maker." The man brought his hands up to his ears and whined.

"We must hurry." Wynne said, turning to Nienna. "They are in danger, I'm sure of it."

"You can't save them. You don't know what they've become." The man cried. He clenched his hands into fists. "They've been surrounded by blood mages whose wicked fingers snake into your mind and corrupt your thoughts! You have to end it all now, before it's too late."

"His hatred of mages is so intense..." Alistair said, leaning forward. "The memory of his friends' deaths are still fresh in his mind."

"I want to save everyone who can possibly be saved." Nienna exclaimed. The man shook his head and frowned at her.

"No one ever listens. Until it is far too late." He groaned. "Maker turn his gaze to you. I hope your compassion hasn't doomed us all."

The templar turned his back on them and Nienna knew there was no use trying to argue with him, not when there were lives on the line. Nienna nodded to her companions and they continued through the large room and headed towards the door which lead up to the very top of the tower. As they reached the top of the stairs, Nienna lead her companions into the large open room which glowed a strange blue hue. The first thing they saw was Uldred with two demons by his side and another mage below them, lying on the floor begging for mercy. Uldred lifted his hands and the demons followed his movements. He then conducted a spell which sent electric shocks out from his hands and headed straight for the mage on the floor. His body was raised up and he let out a blood curdling scream. Nienna watched motionless as the mage's body bent over and twisted up. His bones cracked and his screams became louder until finally they stopped and his glowing body had finished transforming into a demon. It stood up and took its place with the other demons beside Uldred in the centre of the room. Nienna stepped forward, her companions next to her and she held up her dagger, pointing it straight at Uldred.

"Ah, look what we have here. An intruder. I bid you welcome." Uldred said, a smile upon his pale thin lips. They approached the scene and Nienna became aware of three mages who were sat nearby; their hands were bound and one of the mages had bruises upon his face from where Uldred had beaten him.

"I'm quite impressed you're still alive." Uldred continued, moving forward. "Unfortunately that must mean you've killed my servants. Oh well, they are probably better off dying in the services of their betters than living with the terrible responsibility of independence."

"What are you trying to accomplish by torturing these people here?" Nienna asked. She took a closer look at the mage before her. His eyes were clouded over and his complexion was pale and sickly. This was no mage anymore, he had become something else.

"A mage is but the larval form of something greater. Your Chantry vilifies us, calls us abominations, when we have reached our full potential." He replied, a crazed look in his eyes. He gestured to the mages beside them. "Look at them. The Chantry has them convinced. They deny themselves the becoming of something glorious."

"You're mad!" Wynne cried out, aiming her staff at the man before her. "There's nothing glorious about what you've become, Uldred."

"Uldred?" He laughed and shook his head. "He is gone. I am Uldred and yet not Uldred. I am more than he was. I could give you this gift, Wynne. You and all the mages. It would be so much easier if you just accepted it. I even have the first chanter on my side, don't I... Irving?" He pointed to the mage sat in the middle; he was old and his face was bruised and bloody. He had been beaten and he sat there with an emotionless face. Nienna's heart began to pound in her chest with worry over what Uldred had done to him but she knew she needed to stand her ground.

"What have you done to him?" Wynne exclaimed, her brows furrowed in worry. Irving lifted his head slightly to look up at her.

"Stop him... He is building an army. He will destroy the templars." He said in his weak voice. Uldred rushed over to him and punched him in his face, causing Irving to let out a loud cry of pain. Uldred then turned back to Nienna and her companions.

"That's enough of him. He'll serve me eventually. As will you." Uldred lifted his hand up and sent a bolt of energy straight towards them.

The bolt hit the ground beneath them and the blast sent them all flying. Wynne and Sten were pushed back to the other side of the room. Nienna's body crashed into the floor as Alistair managed to use his shield to block most of the blast and remained upright. He rushed over to her and pulled her up just as Uldred's demons split up and closed in on them. Sten began to fight off the demons as Wynne stayed close to Irving and the other mages, keeping them healed by her magic. Uldred moved towards Nienna, electricity courses through his hands and up his arms. He sent bolt after bolt but Nienna moved quickly and managed to dodge them all until one bolt hit her on the side. She cried out but stayed on her feet and she lunged forward, slashing her daggers at Uldred. He used his magic to create a force field around himself so she could do no damage to him but she kept trying. Alistair slew the demon he was attacking and then swung around to check on Nienna.

Uldred towered over Nienna's small frame but she used this to her advantage by darting past him and she sliced at his back where his magic didn't reach. He screamed out as she hit her mark but he quickly swung his arm back and sent another bolt at Nienna. She was hit instantly and her body was flung backwards, crashing into Alistair. They both fell to the floor as Uldred moved towards them, chanting some strange spell under his breath. He lifted his hands again and sent a huge surge of energy towards them but Alistair reacted fast and he held up his shield to protect himself and Nienna. The magic hit against the shield but Alistair held it up and didn't falter. Wynne and Sten had finally defeated the other demons and could now turn their attention to Uldred. With Uldred distracted, Wynne cast a spell to freeze his feet to the ground. His magic stopped and he cried out as he tried to break the ice beneath him. Nienna quickly jumped up and she threw her dagger at Uldred and it plunged itself in Uldred's skull. Black blood poured out of the wound and Nienna rushed towards him and stabbed her other dagger into his chest. He let out his last breath and then his body fell to the ground. As they catched their breath, Nienna pulled out her daggers and cleaned them using Uldred's robes. She put them back in their sheaths and then turned back to Irving. Alistair had cut the ropes from their hands and Wynne was using her magic to heal their wounds. Nienna wanted nothing more than to just fall to her knees and breath a loud sigh of relief that this was now all over but she walked over to Irving, who greeted her with a soft smile.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

Nienna helped Irving down all the long flights of stairs, finally reaching the main hall at the ground floor of the Circle Tower. Greagoir, the Knight-Commander of the Templars stationed at the Tower rushed over to them.

"Maker's breath! I did not expect to see you alive." Greagoir exclaimed, as they both stumbled towards him. Irving let go of Nienna and stood on his own, swaying slighty as he was still weak.

"It is over, Greagoir. Uldred is dead." Irving said, breathing out a heavy sigh.

"Uldred tortured these mages, hoping to break their will and turn them into abominations." A familiar voice cried. Nienna looked over to see the templar who had been imprisoned by Uldred walking towards them. Uldred's magic must have been stopped when Nienna had slain him.

"What? Don't be ridiculous." Irving snapped at the young templar.

"Of course, he would say that. He might be a blood mage." The templar stepped up to Irving and glared at him with an icy cold stare. Nienna felt pity for the man before her. He had been through a terrible ordeal and yet still was blinded by his rage. Greagoir moved between them and pushed the blonde curly haired templar back.

"I am the Knight-Commander here, not you." Greagoir said, sternly. The young man opened his mouth to argue with him once more, but he knew it was no use so he threw his hands up in the air and walked away. Greagoir then turned back to Nienna. "Thank you. You have proven yourself a friend of both the circle and the templars."

"Now that the Circle has been restored, will you honour our treaties and give us aid against the darkspawn?" Nienna asked.

"I promised you aid but with the Circle restored, my duty is to watch the mages. They are free to help you, however." The Knight-Commander replied, gesturing to Irving. "I will have to take my leave now. Thank you again for all your help." Greagoir turned away and walked over to a group of templars who were waiting for orders.

Irving stepped towards Nienna and took her hand, holding it tightly.

"I am glad you arrived when you did. It was almost as if the Maker himself sent you." He said, gently. Nienna felt her cheeks blush at his comment.

"I- I wouldn't be so sure of that. But thank you. I'm glad I could help." She smiled, sweetly as Irving patted her hand and then let it go.

"It seems you came here seeking allies. The least we could do is help you against the darkspawn. I would hate to survive this only to be overrun by the Blight." Irving cleared his throat and then continued. "You have my word, as First Enchanter, that the Circle will join the Grey Wardens in the fight."

Nienna felt a weight lifted off her shoulders and she let out a happy sigh. She thanked Irving and then turned back to her companions who were close behind her. She flashed a smile at Alistair, who smiled back at her. Wynne moved towards Nienna's side and she turned to Irving.

"Irving, I have a request." She said, in her usual calm voice. "I seek leave to follow the Grey Wardens."

Nienna raised her eyebrows in surprise at Wynne's request. She hadn't know Wynne for very long but something about her brought great comfort to Nienna and she would gladly have her by her side so she anxiously awaited Irving's response.

"Wynne, we need you here." Irving sighed. "The Circle needs you."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but the Circle will do fine without me. The Circle has you." Wynne then looked over to Nienna, a soft smiled upon her lips. "This woman is brave and good, and capable of great things. If she will accept my help, I will help her accomplish her goals."

Nienna's eyes began to well up as she listened to Wynne's words. She was shocked to hear someone, a human, a mage, speak so highly of her. Nienna had never thought of herself as anything other than ordinary. She was just another city elf, but Wynne openly complimented her and it was so touching to Nienna that she felt her heart flutter happily.

"I would be honoured to have you join me." Nienna said, smiling back at Wynne.

"Then I give you leave to be with the Warden, but know that you will always have a place here." Irving exclaimed, placing a hand on Wynne's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. They said their goodbyes and then Irving took his leave.

"Right, what do we do now?" Alistair said, stepping forward to Nienna with Sten behind him.

Nienna thought for a moment but she was exhausted after all they had been through so she simply turned to them and let out a sigh.

"The first thing we're going to do is go back to camp, have some dinner and have a long nap."


	11. The Antivan Crows send their regards.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nienna and her party return to their camp after saving the Circle Tower for some rest and refreshment. But after a bad night's rest, Nienna stumbles upon a mysterious elf and discovers she is the target of an assassination plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating for so long but I've finally finished this chapter! I tried to change up the scene from what happens in the game to keep it different for my character's story but also again to test out my writing skills! I hope you all enjoy!

A gentle hand pressed against Nienna's shoulder and shook her gently. She awoke and blinked her pale blue eyes a few times allowing her eyesight to adjust to the darkness. She saw Leliana stood over her, smiling softly.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Nienna." She said, in a soft whisper. "But I've just finished my watch for the night and you offered to take the next round."

Nienna let out a long yawn. She had forgotten she had asked to take the watch tonight and she didn't managed to get any sleep. She was exhausted but her mind was racing and the fear of having another nightmare had kept her awake. Although her body felt heavy and her muscles ached, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Would you like me to wake up Alistair?" Leliana asked, a small smirk across her lips.

"No, let him sleep. I'll take Hamlet with me." Nienna replied. She would've liked having Alistair with her as she enjoyed his company but after all that had happened at the Tower, he deserved to rest. Leliana bid her good-night and then left Nienna's tent. "Come on, Hammy."

Nienna turned to her side and gently patted the large mabari next to her. The beast slowly awoke and let out a loud whine as he stretched out. Nienna grabbed her freshly clean white tunic shirt and threw it on over her undergarments and quickly pulled on her breeches. She then threw on the rest of her Grey Warden armour and tied her belt around her slim waist, slotting her daggers in their sheaths before making her way out of her tent. The last embers of the campfire flickered as it began to finally die out. Nienna looked around at the camp and saw no lights from within any of the other tents, meaning everyone had gone to sleep for the night. She then looked over to Morrigan, who had her own tent set up a few feet away from the main camp. She was still awake and she was sat on a small stool, reading a book in the light of a small fire. At the Circle Tower, Nienna came across a grimoire which happened to belong to Flemeth. She had no idea how it came to be there, but Morrigan was very surprised to see it. Nienna decided it would be better not to disturb her so she called for Hamlet and then set off into the forest surrounding the camp.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

A few hours passed and Nienna was due back at the camp but she strayed from the path and was now wandering slowly, her mind clouded with thoughts. She still felt exhausted yet she knew there was no time to rest. They had the support of the mages but they were nowhere near done yet. Their quest had only just begun and her heart sank in her chest as she continued to think about the future and how much was riding on her shoulders. She had her companions but she was very aware of all the responsibility that was now placed on her. Nienna had spent her whole life believing she would amount to nothing, that she was just an elf from the city slums whose life meant nothing to the Shems. And yet now she was one of the last Grey Wardens, she was forming an army that would unite all of Ferelden and she was leading a group of remarkable people who she believed would be better off without her.

Hamlet walked closer and nudged his mouth into her hand in an effort to cheer her up. Nienna chuckled softly and stroked his head a few times. Suddenly, Hamlet stopped in his tracks and his ears perked up. Nienna followed his gaze but she couldn't sense any darkspawn. Then she heard a twig snap and she reached for her daggers.

"Who's there?" She cried out. An erratic woman stepped out from the trees and stumbled towards Nienna. She seemed to be unarmed so Nienna put her daggers away and offered her hand to the human woman.

"Oh, thank the Maker! We need help!" The woman stammered as she caught her breath. Her cheeks were flushed red and her hair was in disarray. "They attacked the wagon. Please, help us!"

"Of course! Let me get some help-" Nienna began to turn to the direction of the camp but the woman pulled her back and lead her through the trees.

"There's no time! Follow me, I'll take you there." The woman let go of Nienna and ran forward.

Nienna raced after her looking back to Hamlet, but he had run off back towards the camp to warn the others. She led Nienna into an open area of the forest, surrounded by rocks and tall trees. The moon was high in the night sky now so everything was illuminated by its bright light, yet Nienna had lost the woman she was following. She looked around her but saw nothing and no sign of any wagon either. But she heard footsteps behind her so she quickly turned and held up her dagger. A stranger stepped out from behind one of the large rocks and move towards Nienna. He was a little taller than her, and his skin was dark. She looked at his face and saw that he was an elf but he wasn't like any elf she had ever seen before. His ears stuck out from behind his long dirty blonde hair and he had a handsome, chiselled face. Across the side of his face was a tattoo and he had a twinkle in his caramel eyes as he stared at Nienna.

"The Antivan Crows send their regards, Warden." He said, lifting up his hand and clicking his fingers just once. In a quick flash, Nienna was suddenly surrounded by other strangers. Before Nienna could begin to react, one of the men wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back. She let out a yell and her daggers dropped to the floor. The other men around her quickly rushed towards her but she lifted herself up and kicked her legs out as hard as she could. But the man who held her was much bigger than Nienna and he held her down hard. She kept kicking her legs erratically and she managed to hit the others as they came closer. Nienna struggled and pushed and screamed but she was caught and she felt herself begin to panic until her rage kicked in and she opened her mouth wide and bit down hard on the man's arm. He yelled out and he used his other arm to try to pull her head back but she just bit down harder until she could feel his skin through the material of his sleeve. She then tasted blood in her mouth and the man screamed out in pain, releasing her from his arms and then taking a step back.

Nienna dropped to the floor and in a quick motion, she grabbed her daggers and then rolled away from the incoming attackers. She sliced her daggers at them and managed to cut a few of them down as they tried to grab her again. One of the men had a sword and he swung at her, but Nienna darted to the side of him and sliced his throat before turning to another attacker and she stabbed both of her daggers into his chest. She let out a roar as she pulled the daggers back out and threw one into the last man. His body slammed to the floor and she bent over his body, pulling out the dagger from his neck, breathing heavily. The elf stood still in the middle of this carnage, his thick brows raised in surprise. He chuckled and drew out his own daggers which were slightly bigger and sharper than Nienna's. She wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her gloved hand and glared at him, a fire in her eyes.

He said nothing, but simply smiled and gestured to her to start their duel. Nienna lunged forward first and their daggers clashed. The elf predicted her every move; each time she tried to dart past, he moved faster and turned before she could land her hit. She swung her daggers but he blocked them without fail again and again, and yet never tried to hit her back. But no matter how hard Nienna tried, she kept missing him and eventually she fell to her feet, completely exhausted. The elf laughed and stepped forward, placing a dagger on her chin and lifting her pale, bloodied face up to look at his own. His thick lips were curled into a smirk and his striking chestnut eyes stared straight into Nienna's. Then he lifted his other dagger and moved to make his killing blow, when an arrow suddenly whizzed past the top of Nienna's head. The elf jumped back and cut the arrow in half with his dagger as it missed and flew past him.

Leliana moved out from the shadows, her bow up and an arrow aimed directly at the elf. Hamlet came out from her side, growling along with Sten towering over them. Nienna didn't have the strength to stand back up but she let out a happy sigh knowing that her friends had come to help her. The elf began to step backwards, knowing that he was out numbered but he didn't turn away. Sten cried out and pulled out his sword, charging towards him. Nienna heard the sounds of metal clashing and then she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Leliana lent over her and tucked some of Nienna's hair behind her elven ear.

"Nienna?" She asked with her calm voice. Nienna simply smiled before falling into her arms and then everything went black.

 

\- - - - - - - - -

 

Her eyelids fluttered open slowly as the white light from the moon above shone upon her face. Nienna felt a presence against her body and she looked up to see that she was being carried by Sten. His head was held high with his strong chin stuck out but he held her close to him, one arm wrapped around her back and the other tucked under her legs. Nienna stared up at him. Sten was very hard to understand and he never showed his emotions or his feelings, but Nienna was touched by this gesture. He always seemed to be there for her and she began to feel safer in his arms. As she began to regain herself and adjust to her surroundings, Nienna became aware of raised voices around her. She was back at the camp and the rest of the party were arguing loudly.

"Why did you bring him here? And still alive?" A voice cried out. Nienna knew it was Alistair's voice and she looked over at the commotion. They were dressed in their casual gear and were stood over the body of the elf who attacked her. He seemed to be unconscious but his hands and feet were both bound and his weapons were gone.

"This is no ordinary bandit, Alistair." Leliana replied. "He needs to be interrogated. We need to know where he has come from."

"But he tried to kill you, and he almost killed-" Alistair began but he stopped mid sentence, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "I don't like this."

"What's going on here?" Nienna asked. Her voice cracked slightly but she spoke loud enough so the others could hear her over their raised voices. Sten lowered his arms and she dropped her legs down to the ground in order to stand up on her own.

"Nienna!" Alistair rushed over to her, offering his hand as a support. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly as she stood but she let go as soon as she was steady on her feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just tired." She said, smiling lightly at him. Nienna looked back to Sten who was still behind her. "Thank you."

Sten simply nodded and folded his arms. Nienna moved over to the body and used her foot to gently nudge the elf's body to wake him up. He groaned and rolled slowly onto his back as his eyes gradually opened. He didn't seem alarmed but he simply looked up at the faces staring back at him and his lips turned up into a smirk.

"You know, this isn't the first time I've woken up with strangers all around me and my hands tied." He said. Nienna raised her brows, surprised by his crudeness but also his strange voice. He spoke with an accent that Nienna didn't recognise.

"I rather thought I would wake up dead. Or not wake up at all as the case may be." He continued, rolling onto his side in a more comfortable position. He looked up directly to Nienna. "But I see you haven't killed me yet."

"We have some questions we want to ask you." Nienna retorted, folding her arms across her chest.

"Ah, so I am to be interrogated? Let me save you some time." He cleared his throat and then continued. "My name is Zevran. 'Zev' to my friends. I am a member of the Antivan Crows, brought here for the sole purpose to slay any surviving Grey Wardens. Which I have failed at, sadly."

"Well, I'm rather glad you failed." Nienna quipped. He chucked lightly, his dark eyes twinkling in the moonlight.

"So would I be, in your shoes. For me however, it sets a rather poor precedent, doesn't it? Getting captured by a target seems a tad detrimental to one's budding assassin career."

"This elf is a crow? That makes sense. They are an order of assassins out of Antiva. I understand that they almost run that nation and are only hired out of great expense." Wynne exclaimed.

"That's right. The Crows are very powerful and are very renowned for getting the job done... So to speak." Leliana said, raising a brow. "Someone really went out of their way to hire them."

"Quite right. I'm surprised you haven't heard much of the Crows out here. Back where I come from, we're rather infamous." Zevran said proudly.

"You came all this way from Antiva?" Leliana gasped.

"Not precisely. I was in the neighbourhood when the offer came. The Crows get around, you see." He replied. He kept his eyes on Nienna yet he didn't seem to show any anger towards her for being caught. She frowned at him and tilted her head as she looked at him.

"Who hired you to kill us?" She asked. He thought for a moment before answering.

"A rather taciturn fellow in the capital. Loghain, I think his name was? Yes, that's it."

Nienna's mouth dropped open and she turned to Alistair who was beside her. Alistair didn't notice Nienna as he glared at Zevran, his nostrils flaring. She looked back to Zevran.

"Loghain! Does that mean you are loyal to him?"

"I have no idea what his issues are with you. The usual, I imagine? You threaten his power, yes?" He shook his head. "But no, beyond that I'm not loyal to him. I was contracted to perform a service."

"And now that you've failed that service?"

"Well, that's between Loghain and the Crows. And between the Crows and myself."

"Aren't you at least loyal to your employers?"

Zevran leant forwards towards her, a smirk still upon his lips. "Loyalty is an interesting concept. If you're done interrogating me, we can discuss it further, if you wish."

Nienna thought for a moment. She was unsure if she could trust him or if she should believe any word he was saying. After all, he was hired to kill her and he could do so at any moment. She let out a sigh and relaxed her crossed arms allowing them to drop down to her sides.

"All right, I'm listening." She said, already sensing Alistair tensing up next to her.

"Well, here's the thing. I failed to kill you, so my life is forfeit. That's how it works. If you don't kill me, the crows will. Thing is, I like living. And you are obviously the sort to give the Crows pause. So let me serve you, instead."

Alistair scoffed loudly and shook his head in disbelief at what he just heard. Leliana and Wynne both looked to Nienna, who was biting her lip as she thought.

"And what's to stop you from finishing the job?" Nienna questioned.

"Even if I did kill you now, they might kill me just on principle for failing the first time. Honestly, I'd rather take my chances with you. After all, you are a much more beautiful sight to behold than any of the other Crows." Nienna felt her cheeks burn bright red and she looked away from Zevran for a moment. She heard Leliana giggle under her breath. Alistair's hands made a tight fist, his eyes still glaring at Zevran. "And somewhere down the line, if you no longer have need of me, then I go on my way. Until then, I am yours. Is that fair?"

Nienna thought for a little while and opened her mouth to speak until a strong hand grabbed her arm and she was pulled away by Alistair. He kept walking with her until they were far enough to not be heard by the others and he let her go. He began to pace up and down, running his hand through his short hair. Nienna placed her hand on his arm to stop him from pacing and she took his hand with her other hand.

"Alistair? What's wrong?" She asked. He let out a sigh and then began to un-tense.

"I saw the look you had in your eyes just then. You want to take the assassin along with us? Does that really seem like a good idea?" He whispered, his voice full of concern.

"He seems honest enough. And he's told us everything. Why shouldn't we believe him?" She whispered back, letting go of his arm. She looked back to the others who were watching them.

"But he tried to kill you!" Alistair whined. "I don't trust him."

"But we could use him. If the Crows come back for us, then he can help us. And Loghain won't be expecting it." Nienna explained, turning back to Alistair. He was still unsure and he frowned at her. "We could use the help, Alistair. I think we should trust him. And if I'm wrong and he does kill me, then you can be the leader!"

Alistair's expression dropped and he looked confused. Nienna laughed and he soon began to understand her joke. He laughed along with her and then threw his hands up dramatically.

"Whaaaat? Lead? Me? No, no, no. No leading. Bad things happen when I lead. We get lost, people die, and the next thing you know I'm stranded somewhere without any pants." He watched as Nienna laughed loudly at his joke, his cheeks turning slightly red.

"Still, if there was a sign we were desperate, it just knocked on the door and said hello." He teased. Nienna patted his shoulder gently, a smile on her rosy lips and then they both walked back to the others. She said nothing but headed straight towards Zevran and bent over him, cutting his ties with her dagger. He sat for a moment and rubbed his marked wrists. He then jumped up with a wide smile on his chiselled face. He stood before Nienna and took her hand and held it tightly.

"I hereby pledge my oath of loyalty to you, until such a time as you choose to release me from it. I am your man, without reservation... I swear it." He spoke confidently and he leant down, planting a kiss on Nienna's hand. She blushed again and Alistair broke between them, offering Zevran a handshake. Zevran looked down at his open hand and then back to Alistair's face. He clasped Alistair's hand tightly and then gave him a wink which caused Alistair to also blush.

Hamlet, who had been on guard whilst all this commotion had been going on, slowly made his way over to Zevran and at first, he kept low to the ground, growling quietly as he drew closer. Zevran turned to face the mabari and he held out his hand for the beast to smell. Once Hamlet had his scent and saw that he was no threat, he jumped up in joy and licked the elf's hand which caused Zevran to let out a loud chuckle and he knelt down to pet the mabari.

"What a most remarkable creature!" He exclaimed, squishing Hamlet's cheeks and patting his head. Hamlet slobbered over him and wagged his stubby tail in excitement over this new companion. Nienna watched as they did this, but then she felt a hand gently fall on her left shoulder and she turned to see Wynne lift her other hand up and felt Nienna's forehead.

"I think you need some rest, my dear. Go on, get back to bed." She said, smiling sweetly at Nienna. Nienna let out a sigh and nodded in agreement. She crept back to her tent and undressed herself back into her nightdress. And once she had lied down on her bed and her head hit the thin pillow, she felt instantly into a deep sleep.


End file.
